Kweisi Mfume on Homeland Security Democratic Senate Challenger (MD); previously U.S. Representative

We are not doing enough to protect our infrastructure

Yes, we are safer in some ways, but we are not yet safe. Our armed forces, intelligence operatives and first responders are bravely fighting terror across the globe and here at home, but many of the worst threats to our nation are still ominously at large.

As a nation we are not doing enough to protect our ports, our tunnels, our railways or our borders, and our intelligence community has to be properly funded to be able to gather the information needed to thwart attacks aimed at our nation or our people.

I believe that to secure our homeland, we must rekindle the bipartisan resolve to do so. We must set real spending priorities with measurable goals and objectives for our security agencies.

Don’t surrender our essential liberties for anti-terrorism

Support defense conversion; end Cuba trade embargo

If elected to Congress, which of the following general principles or specific proposals will you support concerning American military and foreign policy?
• Congress should support defense conversion by funding job-placement and job-training programs for displaced military personnel and defense technology workers.
• Congress should completely lift the ban on homosexuals in the military.
• The United States should lift the trade embargo against Cuba.

Pro-defense spending, according to PVS survey.

Project Vote Smart inferred whether candidates agree or disagree with the statement, 'Defense: Do you support increasing defense spending?' PVS self-description: "The Political Courage Test provides voters with positions on key issues. Historically, candidates have failed to complete our test due to the advice they receive from their advisors and out of fear of negative attack ads."

Combat international and domestic Islamophobia.

H.R.5665: Combating International Islamophobia Act: This bill establishes within the Department of State the Office to Monitor and Combat Islamophobia and addresses related issues. The bill requires annual reports to Congress about human rights and religious freedom in foreign countries to include information about Islamophobia, such as:

1. acts of physical violence or harassment of Muslim people,
2. instances of propaganda in government and nongovernment media that attempt to justify or promote hatred or incite violence against Muslim people, and
3. actions taken by a country's government to respond to such acts. The office shall coordinate and assist in preparing these portions of the reports.

Rationale to vote NO (Rep. Zeldin, R-NY, 12/14/21)::: Lee Zeldin, one of two Jewish Republicans in Congress, announced that he will vote against H.R. 5665, a partisan resolution: "Rep. Ilhan Omar's bill that is supposed to combat Islamophobia does not even define 'Islamophobia'. In fact, the way the bill is worded intentionally plays into Omar's calculating game that any criticism about any topic relating to her, even if it has absolutely nothing at all to do with her religion, could be defined as 'Islamophobia'. That is absurd and I will vote 'no'!"

Rationale to vote YES (NY1.com, 12/15/21)::: "Our country's commitment to defending freedom of religion and belief goes back centuries, and the Administration strongly believes that people of all faiths and backgrounds should be treated with equal dignity and respect around the world," a statement of support issued by the White House read. The bill comes after Republicans in Congress have targeted the three Muslim members of Congress as members of a "jihad squad."

Legislative Outcome: Passed House 219-212-3 on 12/14/2021, Roll no. 448)' introduced in Senate on 12/15/21 and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations; no further Senate action during 2021.