Sheila Jackson Lee: “I first want to acknowledge the passing of a dear friend, Congressman Ralph Hall, who was a great leader and a great…”

“I first want to acknowledge the passing of a dear friend, Congressman Ralph Hall, who was a great leader and a great Texan. But I also rise today, Mr. Speaker, to ensure that the American people know what we did this week; and that is condemning anti-Semitism as hateful expressions of intolerance that are contradictory to the values and aspirations that define the United States of America. This is the strongest, most definitive denouncing of anti-Semitism that the United States Congress has ever voted on--407 votes. This summer I will be in my almost 30th year of sending young people to Israel in a kibbutz program named after former Congressman Mickey Leland. We understand the value of applauding all people, and, yes, we don't want Americans who happen to be Muslims to be discriminated against or associated with the burning towers, Muslims who have served in the United States military or white nationalists who will be willing to talk about the hatefulness against African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, Asians, and Pacific Islanders. Mr. Speaker, this is an important statement, and I am glad to have been associated with it. We should applaud all those who voted for it. ____________________”