Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member from Texas (Ms. Granger) for yielding. This amendment would increase, by 100,000, the funding to combat the prevalence of female genital mutilation, FGM, around the world. FGM represents a grave moral evil, irreparably compromising the health and well-being of every woman and girl subjected to it. The practice of FGM occurs in 30 countries, in particular, Egypt, Indonesia, and Ethiopia, and has been performed on more than 200 million women and girls to date. Every year, 3 million more girls are placed at risk, with most of the victims below the age of 15. The long-term effects of FGM are wide ranging, including post- traumatic stress disorder, depression, flashbacks, self-harm, and severe difficulties during labor. In February, an Egyptian doctor was arrested for performing FGM on a 12-year-old girl, resulting in her death, at the instruction of the girl's parents. The doctor conducted the practice without any anesthesia and without having the appropriate surgeon qualifications. To be clear, this is not an isolated case. Egypt has banned the practice of FGM since 2008 and criminalized it in 2016. The fact that it still happens to an overwhelming number of young girls in that country, despite the strict legal measures, illustrates the massive scope of this problem and the immense work remaining for each of us The U.S.…”