Kentucky and Tennessee Are Due an Apology

(Mr. BAESLER of Kentucky asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. BAESLER. Madam Speaker, recently, on Wednesday, July 19, a freshman Republican Member of Congress made the following quote in an interview regarding Koresh and the Waco hearings. "The only law they clearly established," talking about Koresh, "broke that I can see, so far, is he had sex with consenting minors." He said, "Do you send tanks and Government troops into large sections of Kentucky and Tennessee and other places where such things as this occur?" This statement shows, I think, the extent to which some members of the majority party will go in order to justify the narrow world view about David Koresh. Instead of condemning him for what he was, this Member attacked the good people of Kentucky and Tennessee. Something is clearly wrong with this picture, and this Member, as others, just does not get it. Defending religious freedom is not the same as defending religious fanaticism. Somebody ought to tell him the difference. On behalf of the good people of Kentucky and Tennessee, I think this Member owes us an apology.