Political Quotes

“Madam Speaker, I am here today to talk about something that is completely unimaginable to me. I can't imagine I am here to talk about it on the floor of the House of Representatives. I can't imagine that it occurs in the world. I can't imagine that it occurs on this very day in this world. I can't imagine that it occurs in our country, but it does. Madam Speaker, I rise today in solidarity with all who condemn a horrific practice on this, the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation. Today, I introduced a bipartisan resolution with my colleague, the gentlewoman from Florida, Congresswoman Lois Frankel, which calls for a coordinated response from the United States and the international community to end this horrific and cruel practice. The numbers surrounding FGM are shocking. They are staggering. Two hundred million women and girls alive today are survivors of FGM. Of those 200 million, 44 million are girls at or under the age of 14. Madam Speaker, these are children. These are the little girls who you see going to elementary school in your community. This year alone, an estimated 3 million girls are at risk of being genitally mutilated. In 25 countries where FGM is routinely practiced, between the years 2015 and 2030, an estimated 68 million girls will be cut, unless we take concerted and accelerated action. This is an urgent situation when you imagine what happens, and I am going to go through it with you. People ask, what exactly is FGM?…”