Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act,

Floor Speech

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Mrs. FISCHER. Mr. President, I rise to offer my heartfelt condolences to the victims and the families of the terrorist attack in Orlando. As a mother, my heart breaks for the parents of the victims. As an American, I share in a profound sense of sorrow for the loss of innocent life.

Many questions remain unanswered. Did the terrorist communicate with foreign terrorist groups? If so, how did they interact and what level of support or direction did they provide? What was his path to radical Islamism and what lessons can we learn to stop others on this path to violence? Was his association with jihadist groups simply a superficial one to mask deep personal hatred?

In the coming days, investigators will compile evidence to answer these and many other questions. While there is much we do not know about the attacks in Orlando, there are a few very important things we do know. We know 49 people were killed, and 53 others were injured. We know their families are suffering and we grieve with them. We know the gay community was specifically targeted. There is something else we know. This attack was brought against innocent people.

While knowledge of the specific circumstances of this tragedy will hopefully help us improve our efforts to fight terrorism and radicalization, for the victims of this horrific attack--indeed, for many Americans--such information can seem irrelevant. This is because the attack is an assault on the age-old Western value of social pluralism. These are American values--ones we hold dear. These are the principles which forbid violence on others, no matter how strongly you may disagree with them. This is a basic conviction that unites Americans.

We have many disagreements in our country. We have them in this Chamber, we have them at work, and we have them around the dinner table. Sometimes our words are harsh, sometimes our words are heated, but we don't kill people who disagree with us. We protect their rights to think differently. This is a key part of our identity as Americans.

The attack in Orlando reminds us that we are in the middle of a global battle between two ways of life: one of open democracy and one of violent jihadism. Our way--the American way--values pluralism. It permits dissent from dominant social and political views. It protects the freedom of expression and the freedom of religion. It defends our shared human dignity. In our society, the value of your life is not determined by your views. Here, your life has value because you exist. That is good enough for us.

That is not good enough for radical Islam. Its followers do not believe these things. They impose uniformity and destroy dissent. For radical Islamists, there is no ``live and let live.''

Their ideology demands obedience. It allows only one way to live your life and demands that people who think differently, live differently, or pray differently stop thinking, living, and praying as they do. Radical Islamism does not use words to get what it wants. We observe its methods in Syria through ISIL. There, they stone women and throw men from buildings for violating their code.

This contempt for other cultures drives them to destroy historical artifacts and ancient holy sites. They are exterminating entire communities of people for practicing a different set of religious beliefs, and they celebrate it. They are posting gruesome videos of their heinous acts online. They are using this combination of violence and twisted ideology as propaganda. They are seducing disaffected individuals to join their perverse quest.

While the extent to which the Orlando shooter was influenced by this incitement is unclear, he clearly identified with ISIL's barbaric glorification of violence.

This is why we must unite to ensure ISIL's lasting defeat. Defeat on the battlefield will greatly diminish the rhetorical power of their calls to butcher, to pillage, and to defile.

However, responding to this terror is the shared responsibility of all Americans and not reserved only for the military or law enforcement. This was an assault on our belief in pluralism, an attack against each of us. We all have a role in the response. Our law enforcement and intelligence communities will no doubt lead the way, but individual Americans can and should answer this attack.

I conclude with a call to action for every American, no matter where they may be. Find someone with whom you deeply disagree and let them know you value them. Seek that person out. Tell them you respect them for who they are, regardless of your deeply held differences. We can do this at work or at home, in the grocery store or at the doctor's office. In our day-to-day lives, we can deliver a direct challenge to radical Islamists. By treating each other with dignity and respect, we can play our part in responding to this tragedy.

Basic human rights, freedom of expression, freedom of religion, and freedom of assembly are endowed to all of us. By asserting our value of pluralism confidently, we can stand against the forces of hatred and intolerance.

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