On the recordNovember 17, 2015
I thank my friend. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with the chairman and ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee to condemn the November 13 attacks in Paris. This is a time of mourning for many families who have lost their loved ones. Let's pause for a moment to reflect on the lives that were cut short and honor their memory with a solemn promise to bring to justice those responsible for this senseless violence. The violent extremists who carried out those attacks have wounded a great nation and an ally of the United States. From the American Revolution to the liberation of Paris, our two countries have established a special bond forged in the darkest hours of our shared history. The full measure of our creation is, in part, owed to the people of France, and we must come to their aid in this difficult time. In doing so, we must act not out of fear, but out of confidence: confident that we have the means to maintain the safety and security of free societies in which we live, and confident that those societies are worth preserving. It is in this manner that a liberated Paris will endure. I support this legislation.
