Elijah Lewis: “I rise today to tell my Republican colleagues from Georgia that I will not be intimidated. I will not be cowed and I…”

“I rise today to tell my Republican colleagues from Georgia that I will not be intimidated. I will not be cowed and I will not be silenced. Yesterday's Atlanta Constitution reported that Republican members of our delegation are threatening retribution against me and another member of our delegation because of our calls for an outside counsel to investigate Speaker Gingrich. According to the article the Atlanta Federal Center, the King Historic Site and even funding for the 1996 Olympic Games may be jeopardized because we have dared to speak out. My Republican colleagues should have more courage. Do they really think they can silence me with their threats. If they want to confront me, they should take me head on, man to man. The nerve, the gall, Mr. Speaker, to hold the people of Atlanta, the citizens of Georgia, and the athletes of the world hostage in their attempt to silence the legitimate calls for an investigation of Speaker Gingrich. Is there nothing this new Republican majority will not do to silence the voices of dissent? Well, Mr. Speaker, I will not be silenced, I will not be intimidated. We need an outside counsel to investigate this Speaker and we need one right now.”