STATEMENT: Sen. Kennedy Must Be Censured for Vile Attack on Maya Berry, CAP’s Patrick Gaspard Says

Washington, D.C. — At a Senate hearing Tuesday on domestic extremism, Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) engaged in an insulting and abusive line of questioning of Arab American Institute Executive Director Maya Berry, repeatedly asking her whether she supported the terrorist organizations Hamas and Hezbollah. In response, Center for American Progress President and CEO Patrick Gaspard issued the following statement:

Sen. Kennedy’s vile attack on Maya Berry is unbecoming of the U.S. Senate and must face censure. We cannot allow ourselves to be so numb to the normalizing of hate speech that this senator is allowed to escape any consequences. It was a shocking display of anti-Arab American bigotry against a civil society leader who came to Congress with the goal of protecting all communities from hate. She was instead attacked with vulgar tropes by a senator who engaged in a vicious ad hominem screed. Berry should be applauded for her composure in the face of hate and her dedication to fighting extremism. Hate should have no haven in Congress, and Sen. Kennedy must face censure for his remarks.

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