On the recordFebruary 29, 2024
We stand united with the Shiloh Gospel Temple congregation and Rhode Island's Black community in the face of this heinous attack. Churches are more than just a place of worship. They are a place of refuge and community. They are safe spaces and sacred spaces, and no one should fear going to their place of worship or anywhere for that matter and in particular because of their race. Let me be clear. This attack on Rhode Island's Black community is an attack on all of us and an attack on the principles and values that we believe in as Rhode Islanders. I am thankful that a suspect was apprehended quickly and charged. Nonetheless, we must recognize that this is a part of a larger trend and an alarming rise of white supremacist violence across the Nation. We have seen too many racially motivated attacks across the country in recent years from Buffalo to Jacksonville to Charleston. As ranking member of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Counterterrorism, I am committed to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to do everything we can to root our domestic violent extremism in Rhode Island and across the country. Our hearts are with Pastor Perry and the entire Shiloh Gospel Temple congregation. There is no place for hate in Rhode Island or anywhere. ____________________
