Skip to player
Skip to main content
Skip to footer
Search
Connect
Watch fullscreen
Like
Comments
Bookmark
Share
Add to Playlist
Report
'Attack On The Religious Organizations': Tim Kaine Rips Trump Over Cuts To Religious Refugee Aid Groups
Forbes Breaking News
Follow
today
During remarks on the Senate floor Tuesday, Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) spoke about the Republican's rescission package which reduces funding for some faith organizations that help with refugee resettlement in the U.S..
Category
🗞
News
Transcript
Display full video transcript
00:00
Mr. President, the good news is that I am the last speaker of the day.
00:04
That is good news.
00:06
I wish I could tell you my speech will be short.
00:09
I don't think it will be long, but I will try to make it interesting.
00:13
I want to tell you a story, and it's not a story about anything that's happened in this building.
00:20
It's a story about a very humble Catholic parish in Northside, Richmond, Virginia, called St. Elizabeth's of Hungary.
00:32
It's a very humble parish.
00:35
It's a small parish.
00:36
It's slightly over 100 years old.
00:39
It's the church where my wife and I were married more than 40 years ago,
00:44
where all three of our children were baptized,
00:48
where we attended Mass just this last Sunday to hear the gospel reading,
00:54
the story of the Good Samaritan.
00:59
The church was founded more than 100 years ago in an unusual way.
01:04
There were Italian and German immigrants in Richmond
01:08
who felt looked down upon because of where they had come from,
01:14
and because of the accents that they spoke with,
01:18
and that their English wasn't so good.
01:21
And in the aftermath of World War I,
01:24
people looked at German Americans and Italian Americans with some suspicion.
01:28
German language was being criminalized in some of our states in the aftermath.
01:34
And these immigrant refugee Catholics decided that they wanted a place
01:41
where they could feel welcomed, loved, and safe as they worshipped
01:47
in accord with the American value of freedom of worship.
01:51
And so they set up this little parish in the Highland Park neighborhood of Northside,
01:56
Richmond, Virginia, where they could go and be together and feel safe.
02:01
They chose an interesting name, St. Elizabeth of Hungary.
02:05
St. Elizabeth of Hungary lived 1,000 years ago.
02:10
She was a teenager and she was a queen in a time of great poverty.
02:16
And against the wishes of her husband and other officials,
02:20
she would take bread and put the bread inside of her garments
02:24
and go out and distribute it to the poor.
02:26
And once she was caught and she was made to open her garment,
02:33
and when she did open her garment, the bread had turned into roses,
02:36
and that's the miracle that was attributed to her.
02:40
She lived only a short time and died, but she was made a saint by the Catholic Church.
02:44
And these immigrants who started my parish chose that name
02:49
because they felt like that was what was needed in the world,
02:56
people who would try to serve others in need.
03:01
A hundred years later,
03:03
we celebrated the centennial of my church, Mr. President, a couple of years ago,
03:08
and I was sitting there.
03:10
I've now been a member of the parish for 40 years,
03:12
and I was looking around,
03:13
and I realized times change and they don't.
03:17
Catholic Relief Services,
03:20
which is one of the largest agencies in the United States
03:25
that helps settle refugees who are legal immigrants,
03:29
refugees are legal immigrants,
03:32
about 15 years ago settled a Congolese family into my church
03:36
who had been in a refugee camp after fleeing violence in the Congo.
03:41
Catholic, French, and Swahili speaking,
03:44
one Congolese family came to my church.
03:49
And then over time,
03:50
Catholic Relief Services decided,
03:53
well, this family likes St. Elizabeth's
03:56
and they feel welcomed here.
03:57
And other families started to come to my church.
04:01
And so by now,
04:02
as we were celebrating our centennial
04:04
and I'm looking around the parish where I go,
04:06
this small, very humble parish,
04:09
it is sizably a Congolese refugee population,
04:14
legal immigrants to the United States
04:17
who have been settled through the Catholic Relief Services,
04:21
and they've come to a place
04:23
where they feel loved and cared for
04:26
and safe and welcome.
04:29
The color of their skin,
04:31
the accent that they use,
04:33
the fact that they're unfamiliar with American culture
04:36
might make them feel not so welcome in other venues,
04:38
but in my church they feel welcome.
04:41
And it made me realize,
04:42
as we celebrated that centennial,
04:45
that my church looks real different in some ways
04:48
than when it was founded a hundred years ago,
04:51
but in other ways it's exactly the same.
04:53
It's a haven for people
04:54
who are legal immigrants to the United States
04:58
but need a place where they can gather with others
05:00
and feel welcome.
05:00
Why do I tell that story?
05:05
How is it connected to the rescission bill
05:07
that we're going to be voting on tomorrow?
05:10
President Trump has sent a bill to Congress,
05:15
and one of the pillars of that bill
05:19
is to rescind the funding
05:21
for refugee resettlement programs in the United States,
05:25
run by churches.
05:26
Seven of the ten organizations
05:31
that resettle refugees in the United States
05:34
are faith-based organizations.
05:37
The largest two are the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
05:41
operating through Catholic Relief Services
05:44
and the evangelical organization World Vision.
05:51
But it's not just them.
05:53
Church World Service,
05:57
Lutheran Social Services,
05:59
the Episcopal Church of the United States,
06:02
World Relief,
06:04
Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society
06:07
founded more than a hundred years ago
06:09
to try to bring Jews at that point from Europe
06:12
to the United States
06:14
and make sure that as legal immigrants,
06:16
yes, they would be allowed to be here legally,
06:18
but they needed someone to teach them
06:20
about American culture
06:21
and integrate into American life.
06:24
The practice of American religious organizations
06:28
assisting in legal immigration
06:31
goes back more than a century.
06:35
And President Trump's rescission package
06:37
that is before us
06:38
wipes out funding
06:40
to a dramatic degree
06:42
for virtually all of them.
06:45
Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society
06:47
has had to lay off hundreds of staff.
06:52
World Relief said this.
06:54
President Trump said he will defend persecuted Christians,
06:57
but the U.S. Refugee Resettlement Program
07:00
is one of the primary ways
07:03
that the U.S. government
07:04
protects Christians
07:06
and others fleeing persecution.
07:09
The Episcopal Church of the United States
07:12
has had to end
07:13
its long-standing refugee resettlement program
07:16
because of President Trump's budget cuts.
07:21
Lutheran Social Services has had to,
07:24
they've struggled to make payroll,
07:26
they've had to lay off so many people,
07:28
they've reduced the services
07:30
that they're able to provide,
07:31
especially to Afghan allies
07:33
who were in the United States
07:35
because they worked
07:36
with the United States military
07:38
in Afghanistan
07:39
to protect our troops.
07:44
Catholic Charities has laid off
07:46
all kinds of staff.
07:49
The families at my church,
07:50
they come up to me after Mass on Sunday
07:52
and they're so frightened
07:53
about what might happen
07:55
because many of them have families
07:56
still in refugee camps
07:57
who might want to come here
07:58
as legal refugees,
08:00
as legal immigrants.
08:01
I don't know of a president
08:05
who has attacked
08:08
religious organizations,
08:11
Catholic, Evangelical, Jewish,
08:13
who have been doing this work
08:16
in many instances
08:17
for more than a century
08:18
in such an orchestrated,
08:20
intentional, and calculated way
08:23
as President Trump.
08:28
Matthew.
08:31
I was a stranger
08:32
and you welcomed me in.
08:34
I was sick
08:35
and you cared for me.
08:36
I was hungry
08:37
and you fed me.
08:38
This is bedrock belief
08:41
of our nation's
08:43
religious organizations
08:45
that they will follow the law,
08:49
legal refugee program,
08:51
but they will help
08:52
the person
08:53
who is accessing
08:55
legal refugee programs
08:57
to be able to integrate
08:59
into a society
09:00
so they can live
09:02
with some sense
09:03
of dignity
09:04
and have some chance
09:06
of success.
09:07
Why cut these programs?
09:10
Why look in the face
09:11
of these religious organizations
09:13
who out of a motivation
09:14
of conscience
09:15
for decades,
09:17
even a century,
09:19
have decided
09:21
that they will try
09:22
to smooth that path
09:23
to integrate people
09:25
into American life
09:27
who are here lawfully,
09:28
why cut their funding?
09:32
Why force them
09:33
to be laid off?
09:34
Why debilitate
09:35
their ability
09:35
to provide services?
09:37
It's an attack
09:38
on the religious organizations
09:40
so that they cannot
09:42
do the work
09:43
that their faith
09:45
in their creator
09:46
compels them to do.
09:49
I'm not surprised
09:51
that President Trump
09:52
would propose this.
09:54
the language
09:56
and the rhetoric
09:57
and the behavior
09:58
that he has exhibited
09:59
toward even legal refugees,
10:03
legal immigrants
10:04
to this country
10:04
lead me to not be surprised
10:06
that this important funding
10:09
is on the chopping block
10:10
in the bill
10:10
that he sent
10:11
to the Senate.
10:12
But I have to admit
10:14
that I am surprised
10:15
that it seems to be
10:17
just moving on a path
10:19
to being accepted.
10:21
that it was accepted
10:22
in the House
10:22
without much drama,
10:26
including by a whole lot
10:28
of people
10:28
who go to churches
10:29
just like me
10:30
and hear sermons preached
10:32
about the Good Samaritan
10:34
just like I do
10:35
every Sunday.
10:37
And we'll have
10:38
an opportunity tomorrow
10:39
to grapple with it here.
10:40
I intend to
10:41
at least offer
10:42
an amendment
10:43
to try to
10:44
strip this piece
10:45
of the bill out
10:46
so that the bill
10:48
will not be
10:49
an attack
10:49
on religious organizations
10:51
doing what they feel
10:52
compelled by their faith
10:54
to do.
10:56
And it is my
10:57
prayer that the entire
10:59
rescission bill
11:00
fail
11:00
for the reasons
11:01
my colleagues have said
11:02
a deal is a deal
11:03
and we shouldn't
11:04
backtrack on it.
11:05
But if we can't defeat
11:06
the entire rescission bill
11:09
it is my hope
11:10
that we will
11:11
allow
11:12
organizations
11:14
like Catholic Relief Services
11:16
and the Hebrew
11:17
Immigrant Aid Society
11:18
and the Episcopal Church
11:20
and World Vision
11:21
and World Relief
11:22
and Lutheran Social Services
11:24
it is my hope
11:25
that we will
11:26
at least allow them
11:27
to practice
11:29
the faith
11:29
they sincerely believe
11:31
and do it
11:32
in a way
11:32
consistent
11:33
with what their
11:34
practices have been
11:35
for decades
11:35
and in some case
11:36
even more than a century.
11:39
And so that's what
11:40
I'm going to be
11:40
praying for tonight
11:41
that there's a bit
11:42
of an epiphany
11:44
in this body
11:45
and we realize
11:47
that the work
11:48
that these church
11:48
based organizations
11:49
are doing
11:50
isn't bad
11:50
this work
11:52
isn't something
11:52
that should be
11:53
slashed and cut
11:54
with these valuable
11:55
faith workers
11:57
laid off
11:57
my hope is
11:59
that the Senate
12:00
will realize
12:00
this is good work
12:01
that is really
12:02
at the core
12:03
of who we are
12:03
as Americans
12:04
and tiny little parishes
12:06
like St. Elizabeth
12:07
of Hungary
12:08
or synagogues
12:09
or other churches
12:10
all over this country
12:11
who pride themselves
12:13
on offering
12:14
a welcoming environment
12:16
for people
12:17
who are here
12:17
lawfully
12:18
and want to make
12:18
a way in America
12:19
will be able
12:20
to continue
12:21
to do just that.
12:26
With that
12:26
Mr. President
12:27
I yield the floor.
Recommended
2:01
|
Up next
'No Wonder People Are Upset': Jeanne Shaheen Calls Out Trump Administration For Dismantling State Department
Forbes Breaking News
today
1:14
Gavin Newsom Asked About Calling Stephen Miller A 'Cuck' On X
Forbes Breaking News
today
1:11
ICE Agents Carry Out Arrests In New York City
Forbes Breaking News
today
2:38
'Did Nothing For Years To Keep Those Children Safe': Ryan Mackenzie Rips Biden On Child Labor Issues
Forbes Breaking News
today
0:48
Understanding Trump’s Dismantling of the Education Department—and What’s At Stake
TIME
2 days ago
7:40
'People Don't Die From Getting Vaccinated For Measles': Cassidy Grills HHS Nom Over Vaccine Safety
Forbes Breaking News
today
0:57
Israel Bombs Damascus, Warns Syria of ‘Painful Blows’ as Footage Shows Hit on Defense Ministry
TIME
yesterday
5:19
Tim Kaine’: President Trump Is A Tyrant’ Here’s What We Can Do About It
Forbes Breaking News
6/9/2025
5:30
Tim Kaine Shreds Trump Over 'Bomb Bomb Iran' Beach Boys Parody Post: 'Is It Just A Big Joke?'
Forbes Breaking News
7/1/2025
8:51
Tim Kaine Asks Marco Rubio If He Thinks Afrikaner Farmers Are The Most Persecuted Group In The World
Forbes Breaking News
5/20/2025
6:40
Tim Kaine Asks State Department Official Point Blank If He Feels Ashamed About Burning Food Meant For Aid
Forbes Breaking News
yesterday
4:27
Tim Kaine Presses Trump Nominee On Status Of AUKUS Alliance And Indo-Pacific Security
Forbes Breaking News
5/13/2025
4:54
'You Are About To Commit A Grievous Error': Tim Kaine Issues Clear Warning To Qatar Over Gifted 747
Forbes Breaking News
5/19/2025
5:10
'An Attack To Shut Him Up': Kaine Blasts Trump Administration After Padilla Forcibly Removed From Briefing
Forbes Breaking News
6/13/2025
5:39
‘Deterrence Only Works If It’s Public’: Tim Kaine Urges More Transparency In Offensive Cyber Domain
Forbes Breaking News
5/9/2025
15:32
Tim Kaine Begins Senate War Powers Debate After Trump Said He'd Consider Bombing Iran Again
Forbes Breaking News
6/27/2025
6:17
Tim Kaine Decries Trump Federalizing Guard, Pushes Back On Comparisons To Little Rock Desegregation
Forbes Breaking News
7/9/2025
2:42
US election 2016: Tim Kaine and Mike Pence square off in VP debate
Al Jazeera English
10/5/2016
5:32
Tim Kaine Questions DoD Nominee About Plans To Counter Drone Incursions Amid Growing Concerns
Forbes Breaking News
5/13/2025
5:52
‘Give Me Any Evidence!’: Sen. Tim Kaine Spars With Trump CDC Nominee Susan Moranez Over Layoffs
Forbes Breaking News
6/25/2025
14:08
'We Are Handing The World To China': Chris Murphy Tears Into Foreign Aid Cuts In GOP's Rescissions
Forbes Breaking News
yesterday
27:48
Tim Kaine Warns That US Is 'On The Verge Of A War With Iran,' Demands Congressional Approval
Forbes Breaking News
6/18/2025
5:24
Tim Kaine Asks Pentagon Officials About 'Prioritizing' Construction Of Different Vessel Classes
Forbes Breaking News
4/15/2025
3:07
Trump’s Immigration Arrest Policy Faces Lawsuit from 27 Religious Groups Over House of Worship Raids
Oneindia
2/12/2025
24:08
Tim Kaine, Chris Van Hollen, Chuck Schumer Hold A Briefing On Forcing Trump Admin To Issue Report On Kilmar Abrego Garcia
Forbes Breaking News
5/1/2025
