Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a letter from the American Jewish Committee and a letter from the Anti-Defamation League. AJC, Global Jewish Advocacy, Washington, DC, November 1, 2017. Hon. Robert Goodlatte, Chairman. Hon. John Conyers, Ranking Member, House Committee on the Judiciary, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman Goodlatte and Ranking Member Conyers: I write on behalf of the American Jewish Committee (AJC), the global Jewish advocacy organization, in strong support of H.R. 1730, the Combating Anti-Semitism Act of 2017 (which we understand will be renamed the Protecting Religiously Affiliated Institutions Act of 2017). This critically needed bipartisan legislation, introduced by Rep. David Kustoff with Rep. Derek Kilmer as chief cosponsor, addresses long-standing gaps in Federal hate crimes law. H.R. 1730 amends the Church Arson Prevention Act of 1996 (18 U.S.C. Sec. 241) (CAPA), which covers attacks on religious real property, to bring all religiously affiliated institutions--such as community centers--under the scope of its protections. The bill also amends CAPA so as to encompass threats against, as well as acts that result in damage or destruction to, religious real property. Further, H.R. 1730 enhances the penalty for intentional damage to religious real property, which is at the moment only at a misdemeanor level unless there is bodily injury to a person. In addition to closing these gaps in the law, enactment of H.R.…”