On the recordJanuary 31, 2017
The recent executive order signed by President Trump to ban refugees and other individuals from certain Muslim-majority nations is a shameful attempt to create a religious test for entry into our country. Rather than making our Nation safer, it discredits our heritage and undermines our shared values. The American people demonstrate these values every single day. One example: just last Friday, Synagogue Am Shalom, in the 10th District, welcomed a refugee family who fled the violence in Syria. There were 22 members of the congregation who met the family at O'Hare International Airport and greeted them with flowers, toys, and well wishes. Volunteers then brought the family to their new apartment that was full of donated furniture, clothing, and food to help them start their new life here at home. This refugee family was one of the last to arrive before President Trump slammed the door shut. Madam Speaker, I am the grandson and great-grandson of immigrants who fled the persecution of Jews in Russia a century ago in order to build a better life here for themselves and future generations. That is the American Dream. We must not allow fear to turn us inward or bar the gates to innocent refugees who seek a safe home and a better future here in America. ____________________
