Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, it has been a little more than a day since our President addressed this body for the first time. Many of us hoped that President Trump would finally lay out a positive vision for America. Instead, the address flamed the fears about immigrants and refugees. I invited Syrian refugee Bothina Matar as my guest to the joint session to show our President that, despite false claims, refugees approved through our vigorous vetting program simply want to live in peace. After speaking with Bothina about her family's experience in Syria and at a Jordanian refugee camp, it is clear that our refugee program is successfully completing its mission. After Bothina and her family were first referred as potential candidates for resettlement, they endured a rigorous 18-month-long vetting process. Only then was the family offered the opportunity to seek refuge in Dallas and put on the path to self-sufficiency. Our country is welcoming, and it is a place that, despite what the President and House Republicans claim, we can both protect the American people and extend our hand to the most vulnerable amongst us. ____________________”