Civic Register
| 9.8.17

House Democrats Call For Committee To Address White Supremacy & Domestic Terrorism

Join us and tell your reps how you feel!

What’s the story?

Thursday five Democratic leaders of the House sent a letter to Speaker Paul Ryan calling for a committee to address white supremacy and the rise in domestic terror perpetuated by hate groups. The signers included Joseph Crowley (NY), Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus; Nancy Pelosi (CA), House Minority Leader; Linda T. Sanchez (CA), Vice Chair of the House Democratic Caucus; Steny Hoyer (MD), House Democratic Whip; and James Clyburn (SC), Assistant Democratic Leader.

The letter called for a standing committee to be established to investigate the recent rash of neo-Nazi and KKK rallies and ensure that Congress takes the lead in addressing what has become a source of deadly conflict in the country’s political discourse

Additionally, Crowley, along with Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-LA), chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus; Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-NM), chairwoman of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus; and Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI), a co-chair of the LGBT Equality Caucus, introduced a resolution to create the committee.

Speaker Ryan has made no statements in response to the letter or the resolution.

Read the text of the letter in its entirety below:

Dear Speaker Ryan,

We are writing to strongly urge you to establish a Select Committee on the rise of white supremacy and domestic terrorism.

Whether it is the Klu Klux Klan, neo-Nazis, or others, groups are actively organizing and working to terrorize the American people and create a new order that would exclude tens of millions of Americans. We are also deeply concerned that members of these groups and their sympathizers have turned to violence in order to intimidate the American people, including violence that has already led to multiple murders. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Homeland Security have expressed similar concerns.

Evidence demonstrates that hatred is clearly on the rise –– the Southern Poverty Law Center found that the November election brought an "outbreak of hate", including nearly 900 reports of harassment and intimidation immediately following the election — not even including online harassment. By all accounts there is also substantial energy behind the white supremacist movement, with traffic on leading websites over the past year alongside a wide-reaching effort to recruit young people on college campuses, including through deeply disturbing materials calling to "make America white again" and promoting the swastika.

The Bill of Rights is designed to provide concrete protections for all groups no matter their color, creed, or history. But it is our collective responsibility to ensure these rights, and given the surge of support for terror, a more focused effort is needed to understand what is happening and how we can work together to protect our fellow Americans.

The sight of people marching to torchlight demonizing the Jewish people, promoting white supremacy, and chanting Nazi slogans is far past enough. The fact that many have found solace in the words and actions of the President is even more disturbing. We need a Select Committee to address the rise of white supremacy and domestic terrorism and the threat it poses to the security and stability of our nation.

Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter.

Joseph Crowley

Linda T. Sanchez

Nancy Pelosi

Steny H. Hoyer

James T. Clyburn

What do you think?

Should the House create a committee to address white supremacy and domestic terrorism by hate groups? Why or why not?

Tell us in the comments, then use the Take Action button to tell your reps!

— Asha Sanaker

(Photo Credit: Wikimedia / Creative Commons)

Related Reading: