-9999
Floor Speech
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. BOOKER. Mr. President, I want to take a moment.
We just heard a speech that is special, not just because it is a maiden speech but because of the man who gave it. George Helmy is 1 of 2,004 Americans in the history of our country--hundreds of millions of people--who has ever been a U.S. Senator.
I will tell you, he is different. He said it in his biography. He is the first-ever person of the Coptic faith to be here. That is a phenomenal accomplishment in and of itself to the growing diversity of a body known for its lack of diversity.
But I will say what makes him truly special is that he has been a man behind the scenes that, for the Governor, Senators, and others, has made our State already such a better place. I have watched him do the work that others often take credit for, that has made him in my heart and through the millions of New Jerseyans he has touched--has already made him one of New Jersey's extraordinary public servants.
I will note that he--in his time in the Senate--has staffers, as he pointed out, and many of them have taken an unusual assignment: to leave their jobs that they had to come take a temporary assignment to serve this country. For that, they have my tribute.
If I can end by just saying one more thing that makes him special. He is throwing himself into this job as if every single day is precious. I dare say, there is not a Senator in this body who is taking each day like he is and trying to make it as meaningful as possible. In that sense, Jersey has a Senator that is incredibly hard-working.
I want to tell you something. This morning, I woke up and saw a text message from him at 6 in the morning. The last time he annoyed me like that, he was my State director because that is how hard-working he was then. And when I woke up then and I got those early, early morning text messages, they were often about something that was vital, something that was important.
This morning, that text message made me angry because here is the most junior Senator--100th in seniority--writing to me asking my advice on what to do about something that happened yesterday, in which 1 of our 100 colleagues in a hearing took on a witness who happened to be there to talk about working against hate--the chairman will know this-- attacked them with questions that were so painful to listen to. I went to the tape and heard a Muslim American being asked if they support Hamas, being asked if they support Hezbollah. It was offensive.
And this Arab American, this U.S. Senator, at 6 in the morning, wanted to make sure that this was the first thing I read to talk to me about that.
George Helmy is a colleague--equal vote, equal power--but his being an Arab American gives this body something that is needed, that I have seen in the women that are here, I have seen in the Latinos, the Asian Americans--people that have come from unusual pathways to be in this body to stretch its diversity and representation. They bring a different lived experience often and a deeper empathy and connection.
We are in a moment in America where we are seeing rising hate, rising hate crimes, rising racial violence, rising religious violence. And every single one of us has an obligation to lose sleep over it, to struggle with it, to feel the pain of Americans like that witness in a Judiciary hearing, to feel the pain that they feel when they are being accused or questioned or attacked for who they are or how they pray.
It may be only 73 days George Helmy is serving in the Senate, but this body needs him. It needs his conscience. It needs his heart. It needs his empathy. It needs his love. And I dare say, he will have a short time here, but I know the difference he makes here will endure.
Thank you, Mr. President.
Thank you, George.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Source