Response of Gary Peters (D-Mich.)

“Acts of hatred and bigotry toward our fellow Americans have no place in our society, yet we have seen violence motivated by racism, white supremacy, religious discrimination and other hateful ideologies continue to rise in recent years. No one should live in fear of being attacked in their neighborhoods, on their streets or in their houses of worship, and if we fail to address the threat posed by hate crimes and acts of terrorism, it will cost many more American lives. As Ranking Member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, I’m focused on keeping all of our communities safe and will continue to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to determine how to most effectively address this growing threat and protect our national security.” On background from a committee aide: "As Ranking Member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Senator Peters sees the rise in religiously and racially motivated hate crimes as a serious threat to our national security. Following the increase in acts of domestic terrorism throughout the United States, including Charlottesville, the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, and the attack on the Poway synagogue in San Diego, Senator Peters has focused on strengthen our national security and preventing domestic terrorism. He worked with Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI), the Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on a bipartisan inquiry into how federal law enforcement agencies track acts of domestic terrorism and how they’ve prioritized their resources and enforcement efforts to address those evolving threats. In June, Senator Peters worked alongside Senator Portman (R-OH) to introduce bipartisan legislation to help secure faith-based organizations and nonprofits against future attacks, so that Americans of all faiths can worship without fear of persecution or attack. The committee unanimously approved the bill which would authorize $75 million annually to provide security grants to nonprofits and faith-based organizations to help secure their facilities."