On the recordJuly 22, 2020
Let us not forget who we are. Our Framers rebelled against centuries of religious oppression, Inquisition, Holy Crusades, witchcraft trials, and state religion. They conceived America as a haven of refuge for people fleeing from religious and political persecution from all over the world. It would become an ``asylum for humanity,'' said Tom Paine--not an insane asylum, mind you, but an asylum for freedom. The President's Muslim ban desecrates this vision with the kind of religious discrimination that our Nation was created to oppose. The NO BAN Act now strikes down the President's infamous Muslim ban proclamation and restores the principle of no religious discrimination to the immigration process. It will be a proud day for this Congress when we invalidate the President's infamous and ugly attempt to scapegoat people based on their religion.
