Congresswoman Ramirez Applauds the Passage of S.Res. 847, The Wadee Resolution by the U.S. Senate

Washington, DC — Today, Congresswoman Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03) celebrates the passage of the Senate companion to her resolution honoring Wadee Alfayoumi and calling for elected officials to reject dehumanizing rhetoric that leads to hate crimes, Islamophobia, antisemitism, and anti-Palestinian discrimination. The passage of the legislation comes a week after Congresswoman Ramirez joined survivors of hate crimes and their families, national organizations, interfaith leaders, and members of Congress to call for Congress to pass the bicameral Wadee Act. 

“Yesterday’s Passage of S.Res. 847, honoring Wadee Alfayoumi, was an incredibly important step for humanity, for the movement against hate and bigotry, and for this moment,” said Congresswoman Ramirez. “We are 12 days from October 7th and 19 days from the anniversary of Wadee’s murder - both dates marked by children torn from their mothers. While time has passed, we continue to see an escalation of violence in the Middle East, a rise in bigotry and dehumanizing rhetoric, and a rejection of our shared humanity. We must remember Wadee. And his memory must move Speaker Johnson and the House to take up the Concurrent Resolution and bring it to the Floor for a vote after the October Recess.”

BACKGROUND

On December 19, Congresswoman Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), joined by Representatives Lauren Underwood (IL-14), Sara Jacobs (CA-51), and Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), introduced a resolution honoring Wadee Alfayoumi, a 6-year-old Palestinian boy, murdered on October 14 as a victim of a hate crime for his Palestinian Muslim identity, in the State of Illinois. On March 14th, in commemoration of International Day to Combat Islamophobia, Congresswomen Ramirez, Jacobs, and Watson Coleman reintroduced the resolution in a bicameral manner with U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL). 

The Resolution resolves that:

• the United States lost the beautiful light of Wadee Alfayoumi because of hate;
• it is the duty of elected officials and media to tell the truth without dehumanizing rhetoric when informing the public of factual information;
• freedom of speech and peaceful protest are constitutionally protected and a fundamental cornerstone of democracy; and
• the United States has zero tolerance for hate crimes, Islamophobia, antisemitism, and anti-Palestinian and anti-Arab discrimination.

Full text of the resolution is available HERE.