Cory A. Booker
Senator for New Jersey · Democratic · United States
“To me, that is a living shame, that men and women are risking their lives for the Constitution we serve, and we can't even live up to the roles that we are to play within that constitutional Republic. What does it say that men and women are dying for this country and we are not even living up to its laws?”
“To me, that is a living shame, that men and women are risking their lives for the Constitution we serve, and we can't even live up to the roles that we are to play within that constitutional Republic. What does it say that men and women are dying for this country and we are not even living up to its laws?”
“We know, in this body, that every single day we are privy to information; that every single day we go into classified settings and hear about the fact that every single day there are Americans standing up for our country in dangerous places who are doing dangerous things.”
“We know, in this body, that every single day we are privy to information; that every single day we go into classified settings and hear about the fact that every single day there are Americans standing up for our country in dangerous places who are doing dangerous things.”
“You see, our Founders understood the nature of war, and they understood--in light of Kings and Queens and Monarchs who so easily pushed their country into war with no consequence, how easily they put lives on the line, sent men and women into battles--it was such a significant understanding that they had that they said: No individual shou…”
“You see, our Founders understood the nature of war, and they understood--in light of Kings and Queens and Monarchs who so easily pushed their country into war with no consequence, how easily they put lives on the line, sent men and women into battles--it was such a significant understanding that they had that they said: No individual shou…”
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“Investigations were literally shut down by our Justice Department. Think about that. The highest law enforcement officers in the land shut down an investigation into those murders. Those investigations were not completed. They did not follow where the evidence led. They were simply stopped, halted. Justice denied. Every police officer--and I have worked closely with many of them-- every police officer knows that when deadly force is used, there must be scrutiny, not because we assume any guilt but because accountability protects everyone in our democracy. It protects the public; it protects the officers; it protects the confidence in the very idea of the rule of law upon which our country and our Constitution is built. No badge and no police officer I know fear transparency.”
“I worry that we are becoming accustomed to things that should horrify us, that we are becoming so exhausted, so polarized, so overwhelmed that another death just becomes another headline, another investigation, another news cycle, another family left to grieve. The greatest danger to democracy is not simply injustice; it is when injustice no longer shocks us, no longer moves us, no longer compels us to meet that injustice. It is a poverty--a poverty of empathy, a poverty of concern. It is a tragedy that in the midst of tragedy, our hearts stop breaking, when outrage gives way to indifference, because indifference is where accountability goes to die. And this is not the first time. Earlier this year, Renee Good was killed, and Alex Pretti was killed. American citizens. Families forever changed. Lives forever interrupted. And what happened?”
“He was a husband, a father of American children, a man who spent decades in this country building a life, supporting his family, contributing to his community, paying taxes. On his way to work, Federal agents in unmarked vehicles began following his van. Moments later, an officer fired through the passenger side window, and Lorenzo stumbled from that vehicle. Agents forced him to the ground, and he died right there on the pavement. Yesterday morning, it happened again. Joan Sebastian Guerrero. He was 26 years old and also a father. He was authorized to work in our country, has a Social Security number. On his way to work, another shooting. Another grieving family. Another life, precious life, gone. I stand here today because I am deeply worried about something so fundamental to our country that is now in crisis.”
“Our Nation was founded on the belief that all are created equal, endowed by their Creator with inalienable rights, and among them are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. But today, I am rising because of my growing concern that we are not living up to those ideals, and the consequences of that are that we are normalizing something so utterly tragic. Two more people have fallen in our Nation. Two more families are grieving in our Nation. And I refuse to believe that this is simply the cost of doing business in the United States of America. Last Tuesday morning, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo climbed into his work van like millions of Americans do all over our country every single workday. He wasn't headed to a protest or a political rally. He wasn't headed into conflict. He was headed to work. He was 52 years old.”
“I believe this is an inflection point in our Nation that should not be normalized but should really force us to ask this question as American citizens and ask this question as Members of this body. [[Page S4088]] Every life--every life--was created equally, has equal dignity, equal worth. And when government, our government, takes a life, there must be accountability; that is something precious in this Nation, the value of life and the responsibility of those who wield power. It is not just confidence in government that I am talking about. It is not just faith in how our laws are enforced. It really is the very idea of our Nation. That is how I want to set my remarks here because this is an inflection point in America. We are a nation that stands for something.”
“This is a question right now, with the events of recent days, where we must ask that question--who are we as a nation? What do we stand for? This is a question that is larger than politics, larger than left or right, larger than immigration policy, larger than any one party. It is a question that really asks about the immense power that we entrust to our government and is that still constrained. Do we still live under a Constitution where, by our very definition as a nation, we should have accountability and transparency; that when we do things like pledge allegiance to a flag, it is not simply the banner, but it is also the values, this idea that every single life has worth. Think about these conceptions of humanity that we put forth 250 years ago--that we are all created equal.”
“Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 114 (Tuesday, July 14, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 114 (Tuesday, July 14, 2026)] [Senate] [Pages S4087-S4089] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] DEMOCRACY Mr. BOOKER. Mr. President, I think there are profound moments in the course of our 250 years when our Nation was at an inflection point, and I believe this is one of those inflection points where, as we look at the events in our Nation, we don't just ask the question ``What is happening?'' we have to ask the question ``Who are we becoming?'' There are moments where this question of ``Who are we as a nation?'' has to come with the understanding that every generation of Americans has to define themselves.”
“And all we need is the majority of this body to say enough, that we are going to hold hearings, that we are going to do investigations, that we are going to bring the leadership of the executive branch here to sit before the American public and explain these months--this 6 months of this war--what it has truly cost us, what we have lost, and how we are going to exit. It just makes sense, but I am seeing none of that. I am going to yield the floor, but I am going to, again, ask this body to do its job, to create a democracy people can rely on, to end the suffering of the American people, to stop this heinous cost of a war with no strategy, no clear objectives, no reason, that is unconstitutional. Thank you. ____________________”
“How could we be complicit in this unjust war that has no clear objectives and that nobody could articulate a strategy to achieve any objective or get us out, conducted by a President who has lost all authority as our Commander in Chief because of his blunder and mistake and lack of strategy and lack of forethought? And the very body that was put in place to provide checks and balances, to provide oversight, to hold on jealously, as our Founders said, to the powers assigned to this body, we are doing nothing but surrendering. And I am not going to surrender on this. I am not going to let this be normalized. This is wrong, what we are doing. This is wrong in every way you look at it. It is a folly. It is a disaster. It is a failure.”
“This is one of the most unimaginable, dystopic realities we are in right now, where the very body that has the power to declare war is not doing anything and letting this President continue to get us into a quagmire. And now he can't even tell us why we are in it, what he is trying to achieve. He is desperately scrambling to get the Strait [[Page S4090]] of Hormuz open, which was open before he started this war. This would be funny if it wasn't so tragic, if it wasn't costing so many lives, if it wasn't costing so much of our taxpayers moneys, and if so many Americans weren't hurting as a result of it. Come on, now.”
“Nothing to check a President that is clearly out of control, who is clearly out of his depth, who is clearly not the great dealmaker because he failed in making deals with Iran before this deal and--even though he claimed to have one--it clearly fell apart. We have war powers. The Constitution is clear. Yet, you are letting him for month after month after month--since February--conduct a war that is depleting our military reserves, coming at a great cost and sacrifice to military members and their families, and every American is paying the price for it in their everyday costs. This is outrageous. This is unacceptable. And this body is trying to normalize this: Oh, just another day in America. Well, no, we are at war right now, and we have an obligation to either stand up and vote in favor of that war or stop it.”
“This is yet another quagmire in the Middle East with no plan, with no strategy, with no clear objectives, with Americans putting their lives on the line. And what are we doing here in this body? Nothing. We are going on this week as if this is business as usual. A bunch of us are trying to force more oversight votes or--excuse me--war powers votes. But this body is doing nothing as a President is spending billions of taxpayer dollars, upending our national economy, putting lives at risk in a war that has achieved nothing but made things worse with the Strait of Hormuz closed. And what are we doing, Congress?”
“They have not unconditionally surrendered. They are firing at our soldiers right now. Every goal he laid out for a war that he did not come to Congress, as the Constitution says--everything he laid out has not been achieved. And even the memorandum of understanding that he said was so great had so many holes of Swiss cheese that it fell apart, and here we are back at war. And what is the President's plan? Can one Senator here say, tell us, what the President of the United States is trying to achieve as we spend billions and billions of dollars a day, a week, in this conflict? What is he trying to achieve right now? Nobody knows the plan. This is ``deja vu all over again,'' as the great New Jerseyan, Yogi Berra said.”
“We have seen the greatest energy crisis in my lifetime upending global oil markets, but more important to me, seeing people's gas prices go up but not only their gas prices, what have we seen? We have seen that everything that touches that fuel source, the transportation of goods and services, has made prices go up for families all across our country. I have seen the suffering, not just of the American people with higher costs but American military who are being held over and over and over, put in harm's way, hundreds injured, 14 dead, and what have we achieved? The Strait of Hormuz is still closed. The President said that he wanted to deal with the highly enriched material. It is still in country. The President said he wanted regime change. We have a more extreme regime. The President said he was going to get unconditional surrender.”
“On April 8, Pete Hegseth, the Secretary, said we had ``achieved every single objective on plan, on schedule, exactly as laid out from day one.'' In June, Secretary Rubio came to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, upon which I sit, and testified under oath declaring that ``the war is over.'' Yet that same day, we had kinetic exchanges with Iran. June 18, Donald Trump said the United States had ``defeated'' Iran ``totally militarily'' and that the memorandum of understanding ``probably is unconditional surrender.'' Let's fast-forward to July 14: Missiles and drones are still flying. The war is still raging. The President has achieved none of the goals. I know what has happened though is that we lifted sanctions on Iran. They got billions of dollars of oil sales done.”
“Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 114 (Tuesday, July 14, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 114 (Tuesday, July 14, 2026)] [Senate] [Pages S4089-S4090] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] IRAN Mr. BOOKER. Mr. President, I don't have written remarks for this, but I have been stunned that we here in this Nation are at war. We are unequivocally at war. And I did write down what I have heard from leaders. Let me quote, on March 9, the President of the United States said: [T]he war is very complete, pretty much. On April 7, the Vice President of the United States, JD Vance, our former colleague here in the Senate, said: [V]ery shortly, this war is going to conclude.”
“We are a nation of laws; that no one, be they the President, be they a Senator, be they an officer in the street, no one is above the law. ____________________”
“This is an inflection point in our democracy, another one that seems to be coming with increasing speed and rapidity. We make this presumption that this Nation sits upon a bedrock that will never crumble. Well, I am telling you, I am not afraid of any nation outside of our own. What I am afraid of is the corrosive, cancerous corruption of a nation who swears an oath to ideals but does not fulfill them in their duty. I don't know what to say when we have another dead person, when we are seeing people in our streets, law-abiding, loving their families, and they are asking those questions: Who are we in this Nation? I pray that this Senate changes course, and instead of silence they answer with a commanding conviction that we are the United States of America.”
“Every government is asked whether it will preserve the principles it inherited. This is our moment. This is why the Constitution envisioned this body. And yet we are failing in that duty to provide oversight, accountability, checks and balances. And the consequence is the repeated tragedy within this Agency of seeing people killed on our streets. We owe these families, we owe our democracy an independent investigation. I demand that from my colleagues. I call upon an independent investigation, and I should be joined by a chorus of my colleagues with the conviction that this is not right or left. This is why we were elected in the first place and why we put our hands on our Bible and swore an oath to that Constitution. I am anguished. I am angry.”
“We are a democracy, and the very mission of this body is to hold the Executive accountable when they are taking Executive action, especially when they are using the greatest power that could be entrusted into a government that is to take lives, to kill people. To minimize that, to watch people die in our streets without accountability or transparency is a direct assault on the foundational ideals of who we are as a people. ``Are we OK,'' he asks. Are we OK? This is the revolutionary idea of America. No person, not a President, not Senators, not judges, no person is above the law--not a Federal agent in an unmarked car and undistinguished uniform with a gun in their hands firing through a window and killing someone. Power without accountability is not strength. It is the beginning of tyranny.”
“It is not a speech about whether we support strong borders. I do, unequivocally and firmly. America must have secure borders. It must enforce its immigration laws. America must protect all of its communities from any threats. The first words of our founding document talked about forming a government of common defense and the safety and security of our communities. But we can never ever abandon the fundamental precept that this is a democracy, and therefore we must have accountability. We are not an autocracy. We are not an authoritarian government. We are not a monarchy where we have Kings and Queens above question, above accountability, and above the law.”
“What happens to that government when the article I branch of the government here in the Senate does not ask questions like Alex Pretti did, does not look for answers like people are demanding, does not ask for oversight, not just over the $200 billion being spent but doesn't ask for oversight when the most horrific imaginable thing can happen, when law-abiding people are killed? Are we not asking for answers? [[Page S4089]] This Senate swore an oath to the Constitution. We have an obligation to provide checks and balances, to conduct oversight, to demand transparency, to hold the executive branch accountable when power is abused. Today, we are failing in our constitutional duty. Today, we are failing our democracy. Today, we are failing families that are mourning and grieving. Look, this is not an immigration speech.”
“Are we OK when we entrust the extraordinary power, when we entrust that power and yet the people in power face less accountability to the people that put them in power? Are we, as a nation, becoming so numb that the death of law-abiding people by agents does not motivate us to ask: Why is this happening in America, under what justification? Are we shrinking from our duty as Americans to value every life and understand that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere? I don't think we are becoming numb, but I worry that the Senate is consciously looking away; that we are not doing our sworn constitutional duty. Our Founders, in their genius, decided to set up a government with checks and balances.”
“It is not just dangerous to the horrible deaths of the names that I have mentioned. But it is dangerous to our democracy. But perhaps those who have passed under these circumstances, we should listen to them. Perhaps we should listen to their last words. Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, his last words: They are killing me. Joan Sebastian Guerrero, his last words: I tried to stop. Nicole Renee Good, her last words: I'm not mad at you. Alex Pretti, perhaps words that should penetrate us now, his last words: Are you OK? Now, I thought about those words: Are you OK? ``Are you OK?'' And that is the question. Are we OK? Are we OK? Are we OK when fathers are killed on their way to work? Are we OK when systems of oversight have virtually disappeared?”
“We get body cameras still absent, as we saw in these last two murders, as if we can't afford them. More money, more power, less accountability, less scrutiny, less oversight--this is not conservative government. The fiscal conservatives on both sides understand that you don't shovel money toward an organization, outstripping most law enforcement Agencies in the entire United States of America, whether those that are investigating drug trafficking or insurance fraud or illegal arms smuggling. No, $200 billion--the most spent for ICE--and you get less accountability for those taxpayer dollars and then when tragedy strikes, less accountability for actions of horror. This is dangerous, not just to families that are being pulled over and detained and thrown onto pavement.”
“Right now, we are seeing with ICE in America, this Congress appropriated billions upon billions of dollars, handing this Agency unprecedented sums of taxpayer money but also in that process allowing oversight to be stripped away, less accountability. Think about this: We have appropriated to this one law enforcement Agency over $200 billion, more than the FBI, the ATF, the DEA, the Marshals Service, the Bureau of Prisons, Secret Service, TSA, and the Coast Guard combined. ICE in America has a bigger budget than those eight law enforcement organizations, billions upon billions of dollars, over $200 billion. And yet what do we get? Greater accountability? Greater oversight? No. We get lowering of hiring standards. We get reduced oversight. We get internal watchdogs removed or weakened.”
“So many of the honorable officers that I dealt with every day as a mayor, they want the truth. In fact, those incredible officers demand it because accountability is not the enemy of law enforcement. It is what gives law enforcement its strength and its true moral authority. It is what gives the laws of this land and those who conduct them their very legitimacy. To not investigate, scrutinize, have transparency and accountability when tragedy strikes, erodes the very foundation of our democracy. Amidst the tragedy of those depths, we see our very constitutional principles at stake, and this is where Congress has an obligation.”
“Investigations were literally shut down by our Justice Department. Think about that. The highest law enforcement officers in the land shut down an investigation into those murders. Those investigations were not completed. They did not follow where the evidence led. They were simply stopped, halted. Justice denied. Every police officer--and I have worked closely with many of them-- every police officer knows that when deadly force is used, there must be scrutiny, not because we assume any guilt but because accountability protects everyone in our democracy. It protects the public; it protects the officers; it protects the confidence in the very idea of the rule of law upon which our country and our Constitution is built. No badge and no police officer I know fear transparency.”
“I worry that we are becoming accustomed to things that should horrify us, that we are becoming so exhausted, so polarized, so overwhelmed that another death just becomes another headline, another investigation, another news cycle, another family left to grieve. The greatest danger to democracy is not simply injustice; it is when injustice no longer shocks us, no longer moves us, no longer compels us to meet that injustice. It is a poverty--a poverty of empathy, a poverty of concern. It is a tragedy that in the midst of tragedy, our hearts stop breaking, when outrage gives way to indifference, because indifference is where accountability goes to die. And this is not the first time. Earlier this year, Renee Good was killed, and Alex Pretti was killed. American citizens. Families forever changed. Lives forever interrupted. And what happened?”
“He was a husband, a father of American children, a man who spent decades in this country building a life, supporting his family, contributing to his community, paying taxes. On his way to work, Federal agents in unmarked vehicles began following his van. Moments later, an officer fired through the passenger side window, and Lorenzo stumbled from that vehicle. Agents forced him to the ground, and he died right there on the pavement. Yesterday morning, it happened again. Joan Sebastian Guerrero. He was 26 years old and also a father. He was authorized to work in our country, has a Social Security number. On his way to work, another shooting. Another grieving family. Another life, precious life, gone. I stand here today because I am deeply worried about something so fundamental to our country that is now in crisis.”
“Our Nation was founded on the belief that all are created equal, endowed by their Creator with inalienable rights, and among them are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. But today, I am rising because of my growing concern that we are not living up to those ideals, and the consequences of that are that we are normalizing something so utterly tragic. Two more people have fallen in our Nation. Two more families are grieving in our Nation. And I refuse to believe that this is simply the cost of doing business in the United States of America. Last Tuesday morning, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo climbed into his work van like millions of Americans do all over our country every single workday. He wasn't headed to a protest or a political rally. He wasn't headed into conflict. He was headed to work. He was 52 years old.”
“I believe this is an inflection point in our Nation that should not be normalized but should really force us to ask this question as American citizens and ask this question as Members of this body. [[Page S4088]] Every life--every life--was created equally, has equal dignity, equal worth. And when government, our government, takes a life, there must be accountability; that is something precious in this Nation, the value of life and the responsibility of those who wield power. It is not just confidence in government that I am talking about. It is not just faith in how our laws are enforced. It really is the very idea of our Nation. That is how I want to set my remarks here because this is an inflection point in America. We are a nation that stands for something.”
“This is a question right now, with the events of recent days, where we must ask that question--who are we as a nation? What do we stand for? This is a question that is larger than politics, larger than left or right, larger than immigration policy, larger than any one party. It is a question that really asks about the immense power that we entrust to our government and is that still constrained. Do we still live under a Constitution where, by our very definition as a nation, we should have accountability and transparency; that when we do things like pledge allegiance to a flag, it is not simply the banner, but it is also the values, this idea that every single life has worth. Think about these conceptions of humanity that we put forth 250 years ago--that we are all created equal.”
“Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 114 (Tuesday, July 14, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 114 (Tuesday, July 14, 2026)] [Senate] [Pages S4087-S4089] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] DEMOCRACY Mr. BOOKER. Mr. President, I think there are profound moments in the course of our 250 years when our Nation was at an inflection point, and I believe this is one of those inflection points where, as we look at the events in our Nation, we don't just ask the question ``What is happening?'' we have to ask the question ``Who are we becoming?'' There are moments where this question of ``Who are we as a nation?'' has to come with the understanding that every generation of Americans has to define themselves.”
“(3) Effective date of inclusions.--The amendments made by subsections (a) and (b) shall apply on the date that is 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act. ______”
“(2) Inclusion in annual report on international religious freedom.--Section 102(b)(1)(A) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6412(b)(1)(A)) is amended-- (A) in clause (vi), by striking ``and'' at the end; (B) in clause (vii)(II), by striking the period at the end and inserting ``; and''; and (C) by adding at the end the following new clause: ``(viii) wherever applicable, an assessment and description of the nature and extent of acts of Islamophobia and Islamophobic incitement that occurred in that country during the preceding the year, including-- ``(I) acts of physical violence against, or harassment of, members of the Muslim community, acts of violence against, or vandalism of, Muslim community institutions, instances of propaganda in government and nongovernment media that incite such acts, and statements and actions relating thereto; and ``(II) the actions taken by the government of that country to respond to such violence and attacks or to eliminate such propaganda or incitement, to enact and enforce laws relating to the protection of the right to religious freedom of members of the Muslim community, and to promote anti-bias and tolerance education.''.”
“2304), by-- (i) redesignating the second subsection (i) (relating to child marriage status) as subsection (j); and (ii) by adding at the end the following new subsection: ``(k) Information Concerning Acts of Islamophobia in Foreign Countries.--The report required by subsection (b) shall include, wherever applicable, a description of the nature and extent of acts of Islamophobia and Islamophobic incitement that occurred during the preceding year, including descriptions of-- ``(1) acts of physical violence against, or harassment of, members of the Muslim community, and acts of violence against, or vandalism of, Muslim community institutions, including schools, mosques, and cemeteries; ``(2) instances of propaganda in government and nongovernment media that attempt to justify or promote racial hatred or [[Page S3827]] incite acts of violence against members of the Muslim community; ``(3) the actions, if any, taken by the government of that country to respond to such violence and attacks or to eliminate such propaganda or incitement; ``(4) the actions taken by such government to enact and enforce laws relating to the protection of the right to religious freedom of members of the Muslim community; and ``(5) the efforts of such government to promote anti-bias and tolerance education.''.”
“2151n(d))-- (i) in paragraph (11)(C), by striking ``and'' at the end; (ii) in paragraph (12)(C)(ii), by striking the period at the end and inserting a semicolon; (iii) by redesignating paragraph (13) as paragraph (14); (iv) in paragraph (14), as so redesignated, by striking ``Wherever applicable'' and inserting ``wherever applicable''; and (v) by inserting after paragraph (12) the following new paragraph: ``(13) wherever applicable, a description of the nature and extent of acts of Islamophobia and Islamophobic incitement that occurred during the preceding year, including descriptions of-- ``(A) acts of physical violence against, or harassment of, members of the Muslim community, and acts of violence against, or vandalism of, Muslim community institutions, including schools, mosques, and cemeteries; ``(B) instances of propaganda in government and nongovernment media that attempt to justify or promote racial hatred or incite acts of violence against members of the Muslim community; ``(C) the actions, if any, taken by the government of that country to respond to such violence and attacks or to eliminate such propaganda or incitement; ``(D) the actions taken by such government to enact and enforce laws relating to the protection of the right to religious freedom of members of the Muslim community; and ``(E) the efforts of such government to promote anti-bias and tolerance education; and''; and (B) in section 502B (22 U.S.C.”
“``(c) Consultations.--The Special Envoy shall consult with domestic and international nongovernmental organizations and multilateral organizations and institutions, as the Special Envoy considers appropriate, to carry out this section.''. (b) Inclusion in Department of State Annual Reports of Information Concerning Acts of Islamophobia in Foreign Countries.-- (1) Inclusion in annual country reports on human rights practices.--The Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151 et seq.) is amended-- (A) in section 116(d) (22 U.S.C.”
“``(b) Purpose of Office.--The Office shall be responsible for the following: ``(1) Monitoring and combating acts of Islamophobia and Islamophobic incitement that occur in foreign countries. ``(2) Coordinating and assisting in the preparation of that portion of the reports required by sections 116(d)(9) and 502B(k) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151n(d), 2304(k)) relating to an assessment and description of the nature and extent of acts of Islamophobia and Islamophobic incitement. ``(3) Coordinating and assisting in the preparation of that portion of the report required by section 102(b)(1)(A)(viii) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6412(b)(1)(A)(viii)) relating to an assessment and description of the nature and extent of acts of Islamophobia and Islamophobic incitement.”
“``(2) Head of office.-- ``(A) Special envoy for monitoring and combating islamophobia.--The head of the Office shall be the Special Envoy for Monitoring and Combating Islamophobia (in this section referred to as the `Special Envoy') who shall be appointed by the Secretary of State. ``(B) Appointment of special envoy.--The Secretary may-- ``(i) if considered appropriate by the Secretary, appoint the Special Envoy from among officers and employees of the Department of State; and ``(ii) allow any such officer or employee appointed as Special Envoy to retain the position (and the responsibilities associated with such position) held by such officer or employee prior to such appointment.”
“(a) Authorization for Establishment of Office to Monitor and Combat Islamophobia.-- Title I of the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 (22 U.S.C. 2651a et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new section: ``SEC. 66. MONITORING AND COMBATING ISLAMOPHOBIA. ``(a) Office To Monitor and Combat Islamophobia.-- ``(1) Establishment.--Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary of State shall establish within the Department of State an Office to Monitor and Combat Islamophobia (in this section referred to as the `Office').”
“Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 113 (Monday, July 13, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 113 (Monday, July 13, 2026)] [Senate] [Pages S3826-S3827] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] SA 6623. Mr. BOOKER submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 4784, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2027 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows: At the appropriate place in title XII, insert the following: SEC. 12___. COMBATING INTERNATIONAL ISLAMOPHOBIA.”
“(d) Reserve Component Defined.--In this section, the term ``reserve component'' has the meaning given that term in section 101 of title 38, United States Code. ______”
“(a) Report on Establishment of Study.--Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to Congress a report detailing plans to establish a study to analyze food and housing insecurity experienced by members of the reserve components of the Armed Forces. (b) Conduct of Study.--Not later than 120 days after the date on which the report required by subsection (a) is submitted, the Secretary of Defense shall begin conducting the study described in such subsection. (c) Annual Report.--Not later than one year after the date on which the report required by subsection (a) is submitted, and annually thereafter, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to Congress a report including the findings of the study conducted pursuant to subsection (b).”
“``(B) Any amounts made available under subparagraph (A) to carry out subsections (a), (b), and (c) with respect to eligible families described in subparagraphs (C) and (D) of subsection (f)(7) that remain available after supportive services have been provided to such families under this section shall be available during fiscal year 2026 to carry out subsections (a), (b), and (c) with respect to eligible families described in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of such subsection.''. SEC. __. STUDY ON FOOD AND HOUSING INSECURITY EXPERIENCED BY MEMBERS OF THE RESERVE COMPONENTS OF THE ARMED FORCES.”
“(b) Funding.--Subsection (e) of such section is amended-- (1) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through (9) as subparagraphs (A) through (I), respectively; (2) by inserting ``(1)'' before ``From amounts''; and (3) by adding at the end the following new paragraph: ``(2)(A) Of amounts available under paragraph (1)(I) for fiscal year 2026, $50,000,000 shall be available to carry out subsections (a), (b), and (c) with respect to eligible families described in subparagraphs (C) and (D) of subsection (f)(7).”
“EXPANSION OF SUPPORTIVE SERVICES FOR VERY LOW-INCOME VETERAN FAMILIES TO INCLUDE FORMER MEMBERS OF THE RESERVE COMPONENTS OF THE ARMED FORCES. (a) Expansion of Eligibility.--Section 2044 of title 38, United States Code, is amended-- (1) in the section heading, by striking ``veteran'' and inserting ``eligible''; (2) in subsection (a)-- (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``veteran families'' and inserting ``eligible families''; (B) in paragraph (4), by striking ``veteran families'' and inserting ``eligible families''; and (C) in paragraph (6), by striking ``veteran family'' and inserting ``eligible family''; (3) in subsection (b)-- (A) in paragraph (1)-- (i) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking ``veteran families'' and inserting ``eligible families''; and (ii) in subparagraph (D)(vii), by striking ``veteran family'' and inserting ``eligible family''; (B) in paragraph (2), by striking ``veteran families'' and inserting ``eligible families''; and (C) in paragraph (3), by striking ``veteran families'' and inserting ``eligible families''; (4) in subsection (c)(2), by striking ``veteran families'' each place it appears and inserting ``eligible families''; (5) in subsection (d)(1), by striking ``veteran families'' and inserting ``eligible families''; and (6) in subsection (f)-- (A) in paragraph (6)(A)-- (i) by striking ``very low-income veteran family'' and inserting ``very low-income eligible family''; and (ii) by striking ``a veteran family'' and inserting ``an eligible family''; and (B) by striking paragraph (7) and inserting the following: ``(7) The term `eligible family' includes-- ``(A) a veteran who is a single person; ``(B) a family in which the head of household or the spouse of the head of household is a veteran; ``(C) a former member of a reserve component of the Armed Forces who has retired or separated from service after having served a term of enlistment and is a single person; and ``(D) a family in which the head of household or spouse of the head of household is a former member of a reserve component of the Armed Forces who has retired or separated from service after having served a term of enlistment.''.”
“Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 113 (Monday, July 13, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 113 (Monday, July 13, 2026)] [Senate] [Pages S3825-S3826] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] SA 6622. Mr. BOOKER submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 4784, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2027 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows: At the appropriate place in subtitle G of title X, insert the following: [[Page S3826]] SEC. __.”
“government should-- (A) increase and develop improved mechanisms for monitoring and documenting atrocities and weapons supply chains into and across Sudan; and (B) use its voice and vote at the UN Security Council to better enforce the current arms embargo on Darfur and expand the embargo to all of Sudan; and (5) the United Nations, the African Union, and other allies and partners should-- (A) press the United Nations, the African Union, and other allies and partners to condemn the atrocities taking place in Sudan; (B) call for a more effective and inclusive arms embargo on Sudan; (C) work to ensure unfettered delivery of humanitarian aid across Sudan; (D) support a mechanism to protect civilians; (E) use their influence to pressure the SAF, RSF, and allied militias to end this conflict; and (F) exert pressure on regional and external actors to stop arming and financially supporting the belligerent parties and adhere to the arms embargo in Sudan.”