Appropriators Support President Trump’s Action to Protect Persecuted Christians

Washington, D.C. – House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK), Vice Chair and National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Subcommittee Chairman Mario Díaz-Balart (R-FL), and Legislative Branch Subcommittee Vice Chair Riley Moore (R-WV) released a statement supporting U.S. strikes against ISIS in Nigeria: 

“Red lines are kept under President Trump. Nigeria is the most dangerous place on Earth to follow Christ, and faith and humanity must be protected. Islamic terrorists will not overrule national security, religious freedom, and the right to worship. We were on the ground – we heard and saw firsthand of the failures to stop extremism and systemic violence against innocent people. These strikes send a clear and unmistakable message: America will stand with persecuted believers, confront evil, and hold terrorists accountable. Radical jihadist networks remain an active and evolving threat to U.S. national security and global stability. Failure to confront them emboldens violence and their calls to export terror beyond their borders. We support the President’s decisive action to defend innocent lives, uphold religious liberty, and ensure terrorists know there are consequences for their atrocities. Peace through strength is not just a saying – it is the foundation of effective deterrence and lasting security.”

Background: Following President Trump’s call-to-action and redesignation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC), House Appropriations Committee Vice Chair and National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Subcommittee Chairman Mario Díaz-Balart (R-FL) led a bipartisan delegation to Nigeria for an on-the-ground fact-finding mission to examine alarming anti-Christian violence and religious persecution. Members of the Committee – including Republican Representatives Scott Franklin (R-FL), Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ), and Riley Moore (R-WV) – heard directly from Nigerian victims of violence, the government, and from faith and local organizations. Appropriators, who have also led a joint briefing on the situation, are focused on a forthcoming report with further recommendations to protect innocent lives, support security and economic stability, safeguard religious liberty, and destroy jihadist terrorist networks.

###