Jim Costa: “I rise, sadly, to address the terror attack that occurred last Sunday in Orlando, Florida. Today, the President and the…”

“I rise, sadly, to address the terror attack that occurred last Sunday in Orlando, Florida. Today, the President and the Vice President are journeying to Orlando to mourn with those families and friends who felt this terrible tragedy that has reverberated across America. As we mourn the loss of those lives, we stand with the LGBT community and decry all crimes of hate against all people in America and throughout the world. Sadly, in my district, there have been multiple instances of hate crimes committed, in part, against the Sikh community and against other communities. In the wake of the deadliest shooting in U.S. history, issues like hate crimes, access to weapons, and the threat of terrorism are at the forefront of Americans' thoughts. As Members of Congress, we have to ask ourselves: At what point are we going to have an honest discussion about the continuation of hate crimes that happen throughout our country? When is enough enough? If now is not the time, then when is the time? The deadly shootings that took place in Orlando, we know, could have happened anywhere in the United States. The reality is that we do not have a consensus here in this House on the appropriate policies that are needed to prevent it from happening again. It is time that we stop playing politics if we are ever going to have an honest discussion, a conversation, about preventing hate crimes in America.…”