Political Quotes

“I rise today to condemn Islamophobia in the United States, an alarming and dangerous trend that goes against the most basic values of our country. Hatred and religious discrimination don't make us safer, stronger, or more united. They do just the opposite. When fear and division are used by people in power, families in our communities are the ones who pay the price. When national leaders single out and demonize an entire faith or culture, it tells people that intolerance is acceptable, that cruelty is strength. Too often, the loudest voices of hate hear that signal clearly. Across our country, Muslim Americans are feeling that impact. Mosques have been threatened. Families have been profiled. Children have been made to feel like they don't belong in the only country they have ever known. It is wrong, it is unjust, and it is profoundly un-American. As Members of Congress, we have a responsibility to stand up for fairness, freedom, and basic decency because Islamophobia has real consequences. Families are afraid to report crimes, workers lose opportunities, students feel isolated, and American citizens are treated differently because of how they pray, how they dress, or where their parents were born. In western New York, from Buffalo to Niagara Falls to the city of Lackawanna, and everywhere in between, we know what it means to face discrimination, hate, and division, and we know the power of standing together united.”