Political Quotes

“Protecting the right of every American to practice their religion is a fundamental tenet of our Constitution. That includes defending the security of churches, synagogues, mosques, temples, and other religiously affiliated institutions where Americans gather together to follow their faith. This year, we have seen the troubling rise in anti-Semitic incidents in the United States, including bomb threats, vandalism, and cemetery desecrations. One of the most frequent targets have been Jewish community centers, or JCCs, including in my home State of Illinois, including the one in my very own community where my kids attended and played basketball and other sports to connect with their community. These despicable threats aim to sow fear in families and communities. And they target our most vulnerable children in preschool, Hebrew school, or teens simply coming together to make friends. Mr. Speaker, no parent in America should have to worry about the safety of their family because of their faith, yet current Federal law does not consider threats against community religious centers as hate crimes. It is unacceptable to limit the consequences faced by the perpetrators of this terror to misdemeanor charges. We need to fix this.…”