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Washington D.C.- Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-TX), Chairman of the Republican Study Committee, expressed disappointment after reading a Washington Times report that revealed that a House Democrat had worked to secure a meeting space in the Capitol for the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) – a group that has repeatedly refused to disavow terrorist groups including Hamas and Hezbollah.
“Despite numerous opportunities, CAIR has repeatedly refused to condemn terrorist action by groups including Hamas and Hezbollah,” said Hensarling. “While it is hard enough for Members of Congress to reserve meeting rooms in the Capitol, I am sure that there are many other places for groups to meet in private offices in Washington.”
This morning, the Washington Times reported that Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-NJ) reserved a conference room in the Capitol for CAIR to conduct a panel discussion entitled “Global Attitudes on Islam-West Relations: U.S. Policy Implications.” During a Senate Judiciary Hearing by the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Technology and Homeland Security, Senator Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), Vice Chairman of the Democrat Senate Conference said that, “We know [CAIR] has ties to terrorism.” Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL) said that CAIR is “unusual in its extreme rhetoric and associations with groups that are suspect.”
“Meeting in the United States Capitol is a privilege. Our nation is actively engaged in a Global War on Terror, and we should never reward those who, given the opportunity, fail to condemn terrorist activities,” said Hensarling. “Assuming these reports are accurate, perhaps after rethinking this decision, a more appropriate meeting location can be found.”
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