Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today on National Religious Freedom Day to announce that I am reintroducing my resolution in the House in support of the Coptic Christians in Egypt. I sponsored a nearly identical resolution last Congress, and I truly appreciate the support I received from more than 50 of my House colleagues who cosponsored that resolution. Egypt and the United States are important partners in the fight against terrorism in the region. Egypt's role at Camp David has led to some of the closest ties between the United States, Egypt, and Israel in their history. I am reintroducing this resolution because the Egyptian Government can do more to protect its Christian citizens. I have great respect for President el-Sisi, someone I have had the opportunity to meet with on two occasions, and I applaud the changes and message that el-Sisi has made in the areas of religious tolerance and plurality. He continues to say and do the right things at the top level of government: having a good relationship with the Coptic Pope, attending mass on multiple occasions, getting some churches reconstructed while constructing the largest Christian cathedral in the Middle East in the new administrative center outside Cairo, and holding terrorists accountable for their atrocities. But, Mr. Speaker, there is more to do. I stress to the Egyptian foreign affairs officials when I meet with them that this is not an attack on President el-Sisi.…”