On the recordDecember 14, 2021
I thank the ranking member of the Foreign Affairs Committee for yielding. I rise in opposition to this legislation. Mr. Speaker, Islamophobia is wrong, just as anti-Semitism, anti-Christian hatred, and all forms of discrimination based on race or religion are wrong. But this bill, despite whatever the author and defenders of this legislation claim as its purpose or their intent, is not targeted to counter actual Islamophobia. In fact, this bill is so poorly drafted, any objective analysis of it raises serious concerns about what the true intentions of the bill are because it specifically does not define Islamophobia. This lack of definition not only risks confusing U.S. foreign policy, but it also would compromise U.S. counterterrorism efforts and undermine our national security. What we need, Mr. Speaker, and what this bill fails to provide is moral clarity. We don't need nuance or political correctness or silencing debate or censorship on the issue of radical Islamic terrorism. What we need is intellectual and moral clarity. {time} 2000 Before 9/11, radical Islamic terrorists were at war with the United States. That was before 9/11. Since then, radical Islamic terrorists have been at war with the United States. Now, you may wish that wasn't the case, but it is a historical fact. If you cannot even acknowledge who the enemy is or that we are at war with them, then how can you expect to defeat that enemy?…
