Protect Act--Motion to Proceed

Floor Speech

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Mr. BOOKER. I am really grateful, Madam President.

It has been said, and it is quite true, that the only thing necessary for evil to be triumphant is for good people to do nothing.

Here we are at a time where we know our history. Since 9/11, the greatest terrorism we have seen in our country, actions from a church in South Carolina to a synagogue in Pittsburgh, to a Walmart in El Paso, time and time again, the violence that we have seen and the greatest terrorist activities since 9/11 have been domestic terrorism-- rightwing extremists, the majority of them White supremacists.

The warnings we are now getting from our intelligence officials, according to one Judiciary hearing from the Department of Homeland Security, are that the most significant threat right now to the security of our country is White supremacy and violent White supremacy.

The FBI has given a number of warnings. We now are heading toward an election where we are seeing signs of increased activity, increased hate, increased focus. This body--this good body, friends on both sides of the aisle--this is not a time where we can do nothing. We must act. We must take measures and steps to end this kind of violent scourge in our country.

Obviously, this will not accomplish everything. But in a time like this, we must do something. I join my colleagues in support of this legislation. I want to, again, affirm the fact, quite encouraging, that it passed in a bipartisan manner in the U.S. House of Representatives. That is so encouraging. We should do the same here.

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