[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 98 (Monday, June 9, 2025)]
[House]
[Pages H2542-H2546]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
DENOUNCING THE ANTISEMITIC TERRORIST ATTACK IN BOULDER, COLORADO
Mr. VAN DREW. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H. Res. 488) denouncing the antisemitic
=========================== NOTE ===========================
On page H2542, June 9, 2025, in the first column, the following
appeared: (H.R. 488) denouncing the antisemitic
The online version has been corrected to read: (H. Res. 488)
denouncing the antisemitic
========================= END NOTE =========================
terrorist attack in Boulder, Colorado.The Clerk read the title of the
bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H. Res. 488
Whereas, on June 1, 2025, Mohammed Sabry Soliman, an
Egyptian national illegally in the United States, committed a
terrorist attack in Boulder, Colorado, against marchers
peacefully demonstrating in support of the release of
hostages held captive by Hamas;
Whereas, while shouting ``Free Palestine'', Mohammed Sabry
Soliman attacked the peaceful demonstrators with homemade
Molotov cocktails;
Whereas Mohammed Sabry Soliman stated he planned the
terrorist attack for more than a year, ``wanted to kill all
Zionist people and wished they were all dead'', and would
``do it [conduct an attack] again'';
Whereas the terrorist attack committed by Mohammed Sabry
Soliman wounded at least 14 people who suffered burns and
other injuries;
Whereas, reportedly, at least one of the victims was a
Holocaust survivor;
Whereas everyone should pray for the quick healing of the
victims of Mohammed Sabry Soliman's antisemitic terrorist
attack;
Whereas Mohammed Sabry Soliman was issued a tourist visa to
travel to the United States;
Whereas Mohammed Sabry Soliman was admitted to the United
States at Los Angeles International Airport on August 27,
2022;
Whereas, one month after his arrival in the United States
and seemingly in violation of the terms of his nonimmigrant
visa, which required that he not intend to remain in the
United States permanently, Mohammed Sabry Soliman filed an
asylum application with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration
Services;
Whereas Mohammed Sabry Soliman failed to depart the United
States prior to the expiration of his authorized period of
stay pursuant to his visa;
Whereas the case of Mohammed Sabry Soliman highlights the
need to aggressively vet aliens who apply for visas to
determine whether they endorse, espouse, promote, or support
antisemitic terrorism or engage in other antisemitic or anti-
American activity;
Whereas the case of Mohammed Sabry Soliman demonstrates the
dangers of not removing from the country aliens who fail to
comply with the terms of their visas; and
Whereas Colorado law enforcement officials have encountered
Mohammed Sabry Soliman multiple times since 2022: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) condemns Mohammed Sabry Soliman and his antisemitic
terrorist attack on peaceful demonstrators supporting the
release of the hostages held by Hamas;
(2) affirms that free and open communication between State
and local law enforcement and their Federal counterparts
remains the bedrock of public safety and is necessary in
preventing terrorist attacks; and
(3) expresses gratitude to law enforcement officers,
including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel,
for protecting the homeland.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New
Jersey (Mr. Van Drew) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Goldman)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey.
General Leave
Mr. VAN DREW. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks
and to include extraneous material on H. Res. 488.
=========================== NOTE ===========================
On page H2542, June 9, 2025, in the third column, the following
appeared: include extraneous material on H.R. 488.
The online version has been corrected to read: include
extraneous material on H. Res. 488.
========================= END NOTE =========================
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from New Jersey?
There was no objection.
Mr. VAN DREW. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, it has been nearly 2 years since the October 7 attack on
Israel, the deadliest terrorist attack against the Jewish people since
the Holocaust. Yet, still today, we are in a moment in time where our
Jewish neighbors are being increasingly threatened. Anti-Semitic
protests are more and more often turning physically violent and deadly,
and they are inspiring additional violent acts.
Jewish students around the country are fearful as they watch
spineless college administrators fail time and again to stand up to
anti-Semitic harassment taking place on all of our beautiful college
campuses. Right here in Washington, D.C., just 2 weeks ago, we saw a
coldblooded murder take the lives of a beautiful, young couple as they
exited the Jewish museum.
The young Israeli Embassy staffers were set to be engaged just 1 week
later and their lives were snuffed out. Their families will never get
to experience that beautiful ceremony and other cherished milestones of
their life with them. They are gone because of a terrorist's hateful
action. There are no words that can ever be articulated that truly
represent what has happened to that family.
Just 1 week ago, thousands of miles away in the community of Boulder,
Colorado, an unhinged anti-Semite carried out yet another terrorist
attack. Peaceful marches called for hostages held by Hamas to be set
free. They were attacked by a terrorist who shouted ``free Palestine''
as he lobbed homemade Molotov cocktails at them. Worst still, the act
of terrorism was entirely preventable.
Mohamed Soliman is not an American but an Egyptian national who
traveled to the United States purporting to be a tourist.
Let's think about what I am going to say here.
Years before Mohamed Soliman ever tried to come to the United States,
he had posted on his social media his support for the Muslim
Brotherhood, a radical Islamist organization that has been deemed a
terrorist group by governments across the world, including in Europe
and in the Arab world.
Despite this, the last administration issued Mohamed Sabry Soliman a
tourist visa, which admitted him into the United States of America.
Once inside, Soliman took advantage of our immigration system, applying
for asylum within 1 month of arriving in the country as a supposed
tourist.
This action was in violation of the spirit of his tourist visa, which
required that he not intend to stay in this country permanently.
Indeed, the case of Mohamed Soliman reminds us
[[Page H2543]]
all that the integrity of our immigration system is vital to our very
national security.
{time} 1630
While we all should have learned this lesson after 9/11, it is clear
that the last administration did not. Fortunately, this administration,
the Trump administration, has taken a strong stance, once again
prioritizing the integrity of our immigration system, and thus the
security of all Americans, including Jewish communities.
This administration has shut down the open border, aggressively
enforced the immigration laws, blocked the entry of aliens who are
detrimental to the United States of America's interests, and taken a
tough, tough stance against cowardly universities.
I am calling it as it is. They are cowardly universities that should
represent what is right and good in America, and many of them are not.
They fail to protect the Jewish students, vigorously vet aliens who
wish to come to our country, and much more.
Legal immigrants who love America hate what was going on. We are so
grateful that sanity is being restored to our America. At the same
time, we do pray for the victims of these senseless acts.
Today, I call on my colleagues to support this resolution to honor
the victims of the Boulder terrorist attack. We must all stand with our
Jewish friends, colleagues, and neighbors. They are not alone. They are
not alone, and we will not tolerate this scourge of anti-Semitic hatred
in the United States of America.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GOLDMAN of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may
consume to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Neguse), the Representative
from Boulder.
Mr. NEGUSE. Mr. Speaker, as Mr. Goldman mentioned, I represent
Boulder, Colorado, in the Congress. I live in Boulder County. My wife
and I are incredibly blessed and lucky to be raising our family in this
community.
Last week, I introduced a bipartisan resolution denouncing this
heinous anti-Semitic terror attack in my community. H. Res. 476, a
resolution that makes clear that we stand with the Jewish people, the
Jewish community, and which explicitly calls for us to do more to
address the scourge of anti-Semitism.
Mr. Speaker, that resolution is broadly supported by the members of
Colorado's congressional delegation. Colorado has eight Federal
lawmakers here in Washington. Six of the eight joined that resolution.
I thank Republican Representatives Jeff Crank and Jeff Hurd for doing
the right thing and joining that resolution so that we could speak in
one voice in denouncing this attack.
There were two Members of Colorado's entire congressional delegation
who refused to join this resolution. One of them, Mr. Gabe Evans of
Colorado, instead decided to introduce the resolution that the House is
going to consider today. This resolution is not bipartisan. It is not
carried by the Member who represents this community. This a first, by
the way, Mr. Speaker, in the precedence of this House, that the
majority would not give the Representative who represents the victims
the opportunity to speak on behalf of their community, but Mr. Evans
decided to proceed anyway.
Mr. Speaker, of course, because Mr. Evans does not represent this
community, the resolution that he has introduced is riddled with
inaccuracies. That is not a surprise. It is why it is important for
Members who represent communities that are besieged by tragedies like
this one to have the opportunity to introduce a resolution and have
that resolution considered on the floor.
Let me give you some examples, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Evans' resolution
claims that there were 14 victims of this attack. He is wrong. There
are 15 victims. Maybe he got that from Google or found it in a
newspaper article, but had he been involved in the conversations with
law enforcement, as I have, he would know that there were 15 victims of
this terrible attack.
It is poor decorum to ask this body to vote on a resolution that
lists the wrong number of victims. They are my constituents. They are
real people who were burned half to death by a terrorist 7 days ago.
The least you can do is list the right number.
Mr. Evans' resolution also says that ``reportedly one victim was a
Holocaust survivor.'' She is not reportedly a survivor. She is a
Holocaust survivor. There is no doubt to that. There is no allegation
to that. I know because she is my constituent. The word ``reportedly''
should be struck from this resolution.
My colleague's resolution, Mr. Speaker--Mr. Evans' resolution, to be
clear, because we are considering multiple resolutions today, so I am
talking about the resolution from Mr. Gabe Evans of Colorado--does not
mention once, not once, the Boulder Police Department, the officers who
I represent who put their lives on the line to save members of the
community 7 days ago.
The resolution that Mr. Evans has offered doesn't mention the FBI
once, not once, whose swift response was so integral. The only law
enforcement agency that Mr. Evans mentions is ICE, the one agency that
was not in Boulder that day.
We should have the decency to recognize the Boulder Police Department
and the officers who I represent who put their lives on the line 7 days
ago. It is the least we can do. We have a resolution that does that in
a bipartisan way. Had the House majority, the Republicans, done what
Republicans and Democrats in this Chamber have done since time
immemorial, since I have served in this body, which is allow a Member
to put his resolution to the floor for a vote, mistakes like this
wouldn't happen.
Now, I know that an earlier version of this resolution that Mr. Evans
introduced, which he tweeted about, talked about the fact that this was
because Colorado was a sanctuary State. He has removed that language
from this resolution, so I am heartened that he now concedes that is an
inaccurate claim, that that language is not in this resolution.
However, in times like these, I would have hoped that my colleagues
would be willing to come together to properly honor the victims and to
condemn anti-Semitism, as I have said, as our resolution does.
It is not hard to do the right thing, Mr. Speaker. The question that
Mr. Evans should answer is: Why? Why not join his two other Republican
colleagues in Colorado and join the bipartisan resolution that thanks
the Boulder Police Department, that thanks the FBI?
The purpose of these resolutions is to unite the Congress, not divide
it. The purpose is to unite us in condemning violent attacks like
these, to make clear that we stand with the Jewish community today and
always and that we will be there for them in the weeks and months
ahead.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage you, read the resolution that Mr. Evans
introduced. You will not find a single reference--not one--to the
victims' families, the people I met with over the weekend, the people I
marched with. There is nothing in Mr. Evans' resolution about standing
with the Jewish people. Nothing. The word ``Jewish'' is mentioned once
in this resolution. The terrorist's name is mentioned 13 times. There
is no mention of this being a hate crime. There is nothing in the
resolution about the anti-Semitism that is metastasizing across the
country that Mr. Van Drew and I agree is a scourge.
So much of what Mr. Van Drew said is in the bipartisan resolution
that I introduced. None of it is in the one that Mr. Evans introduced.
There is not one mention, Mr. Speaker, in his resolution of Run for
Their Lives, the organization that was targeted by this terrorist, the
organization that has been pushing for the release of the hostages.
They couldn't include one reference to the organization that was
targeted? One?
I have served in this body, as I mentioned previously, Mr. Speaker,
for 6\1/2\ years, and I have seen a lot of partisan debate unfold on
this floor, but I think it is disgraceful to not give my community an
opportunity to see our resolution considered on this floor.
I don't know how the Republican majority can force a vote on a
resolution like this that gets so many of the basic facts wrong. I had
hoped that my Republican colleagues would choose a different course,
but they have yet to do so. There is still time.
[[Page H2544]]
The Speaker, the majority leader could put our bipartisan resolution
on the floor for a vote. They could fix the defects in the resolution
that Mr. Evans has introduced. I would implore them to do so.
Mr. GOLDMAN of New York. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from
Colorado for such moving and important remarks, and I reserve the
balance of my time.
Mr. VAN DREW. Mr. Speaker, just a few words first. I want to speak a
little bit about Mr. Evans because he may not say it himself. He has
served in our military, served proudly in our Army, and he has served
in Colorado as a police officer. He has done more, not only served in
one or the other, but served both, and did so with honor, decency, and
respect. I think the benefit of having him here, he brings a lot to the
table about this issue because I know that he has served and worked in
Mr. Neguse's actual district, in his territory, as well. I hope maybe
he will speak about that, although I know he didn't necessarily plan to
do so. He is my friend and a good man. I know he cares deeply about
this issue.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr.
Evans).
Mr. EVANS of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of
this resolution to denounce the anti-Semitic terrorist attacks that
occurred in Boulder, Colorado, on June 1, 2025.
First and foremost, let me say my heart goes out to the Jewish
community, who were peacefully advocating for the release of hostages
held by Hamas. This anti-Semitic terror attack was disgusting, and this
type of hate has no home in Colorado. As we have heard, this man yelled
anti-Semitic language while harming innocent people who had peacefully
gathered.
We stand in strong opposition and denounce this attack, but this
attack was not an isolated instance. It is part of a surge in anti-
Semitism that is going unaddressed. Whether it is the Pennsylvania's
Governor's mansion; a couple in Washington, D.C.; or peaceful protests
in Boulder, Colorado, these attacks should not happen, and it is a
tragedy that they continue to happen.
I can speak directly to that as a cop and a soldier for 22 combined
years. I spent the better part of a year in a combat zone deployed in
support of the global war on terror. I have responded and helped with
tragedies in Boulder, Colorado, both as a National Guardsman fighting
wildfires, putting together the crews, and deploying the aircraft. I
also served as a police officer on the honor guard who has stood with
our colleagues in Boulder when they lost an officer in 2021 in an
active shooter event.
I am focused on making sure that we have a conversation around how do
we prevent this from happening again. Unfortunately, in sanctuary
States like Colorado, local law enforcement is prohibited from sharing
information with their Federal counterparts, Mr. Speaker. This terror
attack in Boulder is an example of why these sanctuary policies are
dangerous to the safety and well-being of Americans.
As a former police officer, I know that law enforcement must be able
to work with authorities to keep Coloradans and Americans safe. In this
particular case, the attacker was an illegal immigrant who was granted
a driver's license by the State of Colorado. He had multiple contacts
with law enforcement prior to the attack, most notably when he tried to
buy a gun and failed a background check. This is on top of publicly
espousing support for an organization that is known to have jihadist
problems and jihadist leanings.
Colorado's refusal to allow law enforcement to share basic
information with Federal immigration authorities highlights the danger
of these policies, and it is a contributing factor to the rise in crime
rates which are impacting the life and safety of all Coloradans.
Colorado now ranks second in the Nation as the most dangerous State.
Without Colorado's sanctuary laws, this attack might have been
prevented.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to stand in defense of American
values and join me in passing this resolution, which is focused on
keeping Americans and Coloradans safe, and having the discussion around
the solution to have the policies to accomplish that.
{time} 1645
Mr. GOLDMAN of New York. Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman from Colorado
would indulge a quick question before he leaves.
Yesterday, there was a rally with thousands of people in Boulder,
Colorado, commemorating the victims and celebrating Jewish culture and
people. The two Senators from Colorado were there. Mr. Neguse was
there. I would just ask if the gentleman who is introducing this
resolution to commemorate, ostensibly, the victims of Boulder was in
his neighboring district to be with the victims and the community.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Evans) to
respond to the question.
Mr. EVANS of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I, unfortunately, had other
engagements that had been scheduled.
The resolution was introduced to, again, focus a component of the
dialogue. Of course, our thoughts and our condolences go out, but we
need more than thoughts and condolences. We need to have the
conversation about how to prevent this from happening again. We need to
have the public safety dialogue. That is what the resolution does.
Mr. GOLDMAN of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for answering.
According to reporting this morning, the other previous obligation
that the gentleman from Colorado had was to appear at a political
campaign conference of the Speaker here in Washington, D.C., with three
other Members who flipped districts.
Mr. Speaker, I am sure it was essential for the gentleman from
Colorado to be the fourth Republican Member to have flipped a district
last time to speak with donors in Washington, D.C., so that he could
not return to Boulder, Colorado, to commemorate the victims who were
the subject of this resolution that he so misguidedly introduced
because this resolution is the exact opposite of Mr. Van Drew's
resolution.
This resolution uses anti-Semitism, uses Jews, for a political
objective. This was an anti-Semitic attack. The victims were Jewish.
One victim was a Holocaust survivor. There is no question that the
motivation of the perpetrator was anti-Semitism. It has nothing to do
with how he got into this country.
If you want to have an immigration enforcement conversation, let's
have an immigration enforcement conversation because this has nothing
to do with that.
For the gentleman from Colorado to break precedent in the House of
Representatives to prevent the Member representing the victims of this
horrific attack from leading a resolution representing the families, I
hope it is simply because he has been here for only 6 months and does
not understand the traditions of this institution.
It would be a shame if this is where this institution has gone, if
the partisanship has gotten so deep, so raw, and so uncontrollable that
we can't follow the custom of having the victims' Representative
introduce a resolution condemning such a horrific attack like this.
On top of that, to use this for some bogus immigration argument where
he falsely characterizes Colorado as a sanctuary State and falsely
represents that there were law enforcement contacts with the
perpetrator when the only information we have is that there were some
911 hang-ups that traced back to an address where the perpetrator was
living, to argue that somehow this is a reflection of our immigration
system uses Jews as a partisan pawn.
It is the exact opposite of what we Jews in this country need. I get
that we are in a political body. I get that they like to put these
resolutions--Mr. Evans wasn't here last term, but there were about 10
anti-Semitism resolutions that effectively said the same thing, solely
to score political points.
We Jews are sick and tired of being used as pawns. Anti-Semitism is
rising to such a degree that people are now being murdered because they
are Jewish. We are not just talking about protests on campus anymore.
Every single Jewish institution has to significantly increase security.
We all have to worry when we go into a synagogue whether we will be the
next victim.
Here we are, dealing with this resolution, trying to convert anti-
Semitism
[[Page H2545]]
and anti-Semitic violence into some immigration gotcha game.
What are we thanking ICE agents for in a resolution commemorating and
condemning anti-Semitism and remembering and honoring the victims when
there were no ICE agents there? ICE has nothing to do with it. It is
because ICE is spending so much time pulling nonviolent, noncriminal
immigrants out of court, where they are going through a lawful process
to come in here, so that they can be removed in expedited removal; so
that they can have their asylum claims, a lawful pathway, voided; and
so they can be kicked out of the country with minimal due process just
so Republicans and President Trump can meet their quota of mass
deportations.
Mr. Speaker, we were promised they were going to go after convicted
criminals. These people are not convicted criminals.
This resolution says that there is cooperation between State, local,
and Federal law enforcement. Really? As far as I know, the President of
the United States ordered the National Guard to go into California over
the objection of the Governor of California, something that has not
happened since 1965. In 1965, it happened because the Governor of the
State was not following Federal law.
Is that the kind of cooperation that we are looking for here?
This resolution should be pulled immediately.
Mr. Van Drew and Mr. Neguse have offered resolutions that properly
honor the victims, condemn anti-Semitism, and give the American people
the sense of Congress that we, as a unified body, will not tolerate
anti-Semitic violence. Instead, we are voting on an immigration gotcha
resolution that uses anti-Semitism as a political pawn.
Mr. Speaker, I urge you and my colleagues on the other side to come
to your senses. Stop using anti-Semitism as a partisan weapon. Pull
this resolution. Allow Mr. Neguse's resolution to be introduced and
voted on, as is the tradition of this body, in parallel along with Mr.
Van Drew's, which accurately reflects the threat not just in Boulder,
Colorado, but in Washington, D.C., in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and all
around the country.
We still can do the right thing. It is still possible, and I am
certain the American people would greatly appreciate seeing some
bipartisanship out of this body on a topic that is so important to so
many.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. VAN DREW. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, let me just address a couple of things before we move
on. Let me say that, first of all, as we all know, it was referenced
over there something about Mr. Evans and what bills get to the floor.
As a freshman Member of Congress, I can guarantee you that he is not
determining what bills get to the floor in the United States House of
Representatives.
Secondly, sometimes the simple truth is something, most especially in
Washington, D.C., that we here in Congress just avoid or don't see with
clarity. Here is the simple truth, and this is what Mr. Evans was
trying to get at: His resolution, yes, it is different than mine. Mine
focused purely on anti-Semitism here in the world, but he brings up a
valid point, not only for Jews but for many innocent victims, whether
it was Laken Riley or whether it was the women who were raped, the
women and men who were killed, those who were beaten, or those who were
hurt who were in law enforcement.
Illegal immigration is not a good thing. Yes, there are a few illegal
immigrants who came to this country who are illegal but just trying to
make their way but doing it the wrong way, but there are also real bad
folks who got in.
The simple truth is--let's get back to what happened--the man, the
individual human being, who did this atrocious act, who made these
Molotov cocktails, and who fashioned a flamethrower was an illegal
immigrant with a bad history.
There would be people who are good human beings in this country who
would be alive if we didn't have an open-door border policy. That is
the simple truth. It is not complicated.
That is not using Jews. It happened to be Jews that got hurt this
time. It is not using women when it was women who got raped. It is not
using children when children were beaten and raped by these illegals.
It is not using them. It is stating the facts of how awful and terrible
what it is that we have been doing in this country by allowing known
murderers to exist and to stay in the country and not detaining them,
giving them due process, and then, at the very least, deporting them.
That is Mr. Evans' point here. That is what he is trying to say. That
is what he is trying to bring forth. It is a simple but important truth
that somehow we are trying to avoid.
Finally, again, I will address it because my friend, and he is my
friend, my friend from New York addressed what is going on in
California. Here is the other rule in the United States of America. In
the United States of America, you can rally, demonstrate, and express
your viewpoint. You have freedom of speech. It doesn't mean you beat
people. It doesn't mean you put cars on fire. It doesn't mean you
destroy buildings. It doesn't mean that you are allowed to hurt other
people.
We are a nation of the rule of law. There is a simple truth.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from the great State
of Colorado (Mr. Crank).
Mr. CRANK. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
I am in an unusual position here. This attack occurred in my home
State of Colorado, as well, and I am actually a cosponsor of the
resolution from my friend Mr. Neguse, and I am a cosponsor of the
resolution of my friend Mr. Evans.
Mr. Speaker, Mr. Neguse would tell you that I called him the night of
this attack, and I offered my condolences to him and to his
constituents and asked him if there was anything that I could do
personally to help.
I offered to write a resolution, a bipartisan one. We didn't get that
done, but I offered.
I will tell you where I was this weekend. I am not going to malign
other Members of this Chamber and ask where they were, but I will tell
you where I was. I flew back on Friday night so that I could spend 1
day, because I had to be back here on Sunday, but 1 day, and I went to
a pro-life walk, and then, I went to three separate synagogues to be
with the Jewish community in my city.
Mr. Speaker, what I don't quite understand is the concern over this
resolution. Here is what, when you get to the ``now, therefore, be it
resolved,'' this is what it says, and here is the reality.
{time} 1700
Mr. Speaker, we can cosponsor Mr. Neguse's resolution. We can
cosponsor and vote for Mr. Van Drew's resolution. We can cosponsor and
vote for Mr. Evans' resolution.
Mr. Evans' resolution, the one we are talking about, says: ``Now,
therefore, be it resolved that the House of Representatives.''
Tell me if I say anything, Mr. Speaker, that is radical. It says:
``Be it resolved that the House of Representatives condemns Mohammed
Sabry Soliman and his antisemitic terrorist attack on peaceful
demonstrators supporting the release of the hostages held by Hamas.''
I am for that. That is why I cosponsored Mr. Evans' resolution.
Number three, it says: Be it resolved that the House of
Representatives ``affirms that free and open communication between
State and local law enforcement and their Federal counterparts remains
the bedrock of public safety and is necessary in preventing terrorist
attacks.''
It seems reasonable to me.
Number four says: ``Expresses gratitude to law enforcement officers,
including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel, for
protecting the homeland.''
These are all things I can support and vote for. I guess I would ask
why anybody would not vote and support the ``be it resolved'' in that
resolution.
I rise today in support of my friend and colleague, Representative
Gabe Evans, and his resolution denouncing this anti-Semitic terrorist
attack.
We shouldn't even be here today debating this resolution. Because of
the radical, illegal, and harmful policies being rubberstamped by the
Governor of Colorado and the State legislature, here we are.
[[Page H2546]]
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Mr. VAN DREW. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the
gentleman from Colorado.
Mr. CRANK. Mr. Speaker, this terrorist was in our country having
overstayed his visa. Instead of turning over this illegal alien to ICE
and law enforcement, Colorado lawmakers gave him a sanctuary pass. In
fact, they even went a step further and gave this terrorist a driver's
license.
I am proud to be from El Paso County, a county in Colorado that
stands for commonsense immigration policies and a community that works
with our law enforcement to give them every tool to protect our
community.
We must work with our Federal, State, and local law enforcement
professionals and give them every resource to protect our communities
and our country. I am proud to cosponsor and to support this resolution
for Mr. Evans.
Mr. GOLDMAN of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may
consume to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Neguse).
Parliamentary Inquiry
Mr. NEGUSE. Mr. Speaker, I have a parliamentary inquiry.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Colorado will state his
inquiry.
Mr. NEGUSE. Mr. Speaker, very simply, can we amend Mr. Gabe Evans'
resolution with the inaccurate information so that it reflects the
accurate information about the number of victims? Can we just change
the number from 14 to 15 and add the Boulder Police Department and the
FBI? Then, the law enforcement agencies in my district, in particular,
the Boulder Police Department, can be recognized by this House.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. A pending motion to suspend the rules may
not be amended.
Mr. VAN DREW. Mr. Speaker, I would say that had the Biden
administration adequately screened this individual, this murderer, if
they had screened him the way they should have, if our borders had been
operating correctly, if they looked at his social media, they would
have known that he consistently posted anti-Semitic videos. He
consistently posted violence. He would have been denied, and all this
wouldn't have happened.
How simple is that? Is this too complex for us in Washington? Maybe
it is just too much simple truth.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GOLDMAN of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may
consume to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Neguse) for a unanimous
consent request.
Mr. NEGUSE. Mr. Speaker, there are three Republican Members in the
Chamber: Mr. Van Drew, Mr. Crank, and Mr. Evans.
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the House proceed to a vote
on H. Res. 476, the bipartisan resolution condemning the anti-Semitic
attack in Boulder.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under guidelines consistently issued by
successive Speakers, as recorded in section 956 of the House Rules and
Manual, the Chair is constrained not to entertain the request unless it
has been cleared by the bipartisan floor and committee leaderships.
Mr. VAN DREW. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GOLDMAN of New York. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how much
time is remaining.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from New York has 15 seconds
remaining.
Mr. GOLDMAN of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield the balance of my time
to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Neguse).
Mr. NEGUSE. Mr. Speaker, I again simply ask Republican leadership to
do the right thing and to bring H. Res. 476, the resolution I have
introduced to condemn this attack in my community and in my district,
to the floor for a vote. I think what the Republicans have decided to
do is shameful. I couldn't be more disappointed.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman from New York has
expired.
Mr. VAN DREW. Mr. Speaker, I simply ask our Members on both sides of
the aisle--I believe there will be Members on the other side of the
aisle--to vote for both of these resolutions.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my good friend,
Dan Evans, for introducing this resolution condemning the antisemitic
terror attack in Boulder, Colorado in which the attacker threw a
Molotov cocktail while shouting an anti-Israel slogan.
This terror attack underlines the importance of ramping up the
vetting of everyone who applies to enter the United States, and of
vigorously, quickly, and responsibly removing from the U.S. people who
violate the terms of their visas.
I've chaired seventeen congressional hearings on antisemitism--my
first one was in 1997--so I have seen the sickening rise of left-wing
antisemitism in the United States and Europe.
At a Congressional hearing I chaired in 2002, Dr. Shimon Samuels of
the Wiesenthal Center in Paris testified and said, ``The Holocaust for
30 years after the war acted as a protective Teflon against blatant
anti-Semitic expression (especially in Europe). That Teflon has eroded,
and what was considered distasteful and politically incorrect is
becoming simply an opinion. But,'' he warned ominously, ``cocktail
chatter at fine English dinners can end as Molotov cocktails against
synagogues.''
He was sadly right--we saw in the following years how antisemitism
spread through the political elites of progressive Europe, and was
followed by dramatic and terrifying increases in antisemitism
throughout European societies--and then the increase in murderous
attacks.
Now we see something like what Dr. Samuels talked about is happening
in our country--the antisemitism that has crept into progressive
America opened the door to more aggressive forms of antisemitism at
American universities. And the antisemitic riots at universities,
excused or condoned by America's educational elite, has empowered a
murderous breed antisemitic extremists that perpetrated the recent wave
of attacks.
Our response has to challenge this antisemitism at every stage--as
elected officials, we have a responsibility to denounce antisemitism
whenever it rears its ugly head, whenever it tries to marginalize or
humiliate or exclude a Jewish person due to his or her faith. We have
to fight it at the university level, at the administration is gearing,
up to do, by preventing public universities from being turned into
sanctuaries for antisemitic riots and threats. And we have to fight it
at the law enforcement and immigration level, by providing community
security and rigorously vetting people coming in to our country.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Van Drew) that the House suspend the
rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 488.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. VAN DREW. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.
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