Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, and still I rise. I rise today to remind us of the words of Dr. Martin Luther King: The truest measure of the person is not where you stand in times of comfort and convenience but where you stand in times of great challenge and controversy. Where do you stand when children in Gaza are being killed by the thousands? Where do you stand when the infrastructure of Gaza is being destroyed--schools, hospitals, homes? Where do you stand? I cannot in good conscience stand with Mr. Netanyahu. I will not be in this facility today when he speaks. I will not, if it is a standalone bill, vote to send another dime to Mr. Netanyahu's administration. It is not just Hamas that he wants to destroy. He is destroying Gaza, and he would, if he could, take all of Palestine. Mr. Speaker, I cannot in good conscience stand in this House today and say that I will attend the Netanyahu address to Congress for the same rationale that caused me to vote against the Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2024. I include in the Record the entirety of my rationale, which was published in a Houston Chronicle full-page ad on April 25, 2024. Re Why I voted no on The Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2024 Israel suffered a tragic loss on October 7, 2023. The people of Israel are in mourning. The lives of innocent civilian Israeli men, women, and especially children matter. They must be protected.…”