Members of the United States Senate and House of Representatives, led by Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD) and Congressman James P. McGovern (D-MA), released a statement yesterday, on the day that would have been MP Jo Cox’s 42nd birthday, expressing sadness at her brutal killing and warning against the fear, hate, and divisive rhetoric in our society today. This comes on the heels of a global statement expressing similar sentiments signed by more than 1500 Parliamentarians from 40 countries.
In the statement from Congressman McGovern – co-chair of the bipartisan Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission – and other U.S. lawmakers, they remember that MP Jo Cox was a lifelong campaigner who fought for tolerance and celebrated diversity. They state that “we stand united” for these values “and ideals that bolster our respective democracies.”
This coincides with a global series of events taking place this week under the #MoreInCommon hashtag and banner. At these events, people gathered together to celebrate Jo's life, her passion and her belief in the humanity of every person in every place, from her constituency of Batley and Spen to Aleppo and Darayya and Washington D.C.
STATEMENT BY U.S. MEMBERS OF CONGRESS REGARDING UK MP JO COX:
“Last week, the life of UK MP Jo Cox was brutally and senselessly snatched away. We are deeply saddened for the family of Jo Cox and for the people of the United Kingdom. Beyond politics and parties, we must as societies stand together to stem the poisonous rising tide of fear and hate that breeds division and extremism. MP Cox was a lifelong campaigner against injustice who with open arms celebrated tolerance and diversity. At the core of our representative democracies is the ability of elected officials and their constituents to come together and discuss the issues of the day. MP Cox was a wife and mother to young children, a rising star in her party, and only recently elected to the House of Commons. We stand united for tolerance and diversity and the shared values and ideals that bolster our respective democracies.”
FULL LIST OF U.S. LAWMAKERS SIGNING STATEMENT:
Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-Maryland)
Rep. James P. McGovern (D-2nd Massachusetts)
Senator Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vermont)
Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-New Hampshire)
Senator Robert Menendez (D-New Jersey)
Senator Christopher S. Murphy (D-Connecticut)
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-New York)
Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Massachusetts)
Senator Tim Kaine (D-Virginia)
Senator Amy Klobuchar (-Minnesota)
Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut)
Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Maryland)
Rep. Michael E. Capuano (D-7th Massachusetts)
Rep. Alcee L. Hastings (D-20th Florida)
Rep. Diana DeGette (D-1st Colorado)
Rep. Alan Grayson (D-9th Florida)
Rep. Madeleine Z. Bordallo (D-1st Guam)
Rep. Adam B. Schiff ( D-28th California)
Rep. Steve Cohen (D-9th Tennessee)
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-8th New York)
Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-9th Ohio)
Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-18th Texas)
Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-9th Illinois)
Rep Jim McDermott (D-7th Washington)
Rep. Doris Matsui (D-6th California)
Rep. David E. Price (D-4th North Carolina)
Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-18th New York)
Rep. Nita Lowey (D-17th New York)
Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-2nd Louisiana)
Rep. Gerald E. Connolly (D-11th Virginia)
Rep. Brad Ashford (D-2nd Nebraska)
Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-7th Arizona)
Rep. Frederica S. Wilson (D-24th Florida).
Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-1st Maine)
Rep. Paul D. Tonko (D-20th New York)
Rep. David N. Cicilline (D-1st Rhode Island)
Rep. John Conyers, Jr. (D-13th Michigan)
Rep. David Scott (D-13th Georgia)
Rep. John K. Delaney (D-6th Maryland)
Rep. Elizabeth H. Esty (D-5th Connecticut)
Rep. Henry C. “Hank” Johnson (D-4th Georgia)
Rep. Stephen F. Lynch (D-8th Massachusetts)
Rep. Brendan F. Boyle (D-13th Pennsylvania)
Rep. Donna F. Edwards (D-4th Maryland)
Rep. Tony Cárdenas (D-29th California)
Rep. Barbara Lee (D-13th California)
Rep. Charles B. Rangel (D-13th New York)
Rep. William R. Keating (D-9th Massachusetts)
Rep. Alan Lowenthal (D-47th California)
Rep. John Yarmuth (D-3rd-Kentucky)
Rep. Gene Green (D-29th Texas)
Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-12th Michigan)
House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (D-5th Maryland)
Rep. Luis V. Gutiérrez (D-4th Illinois)
Rep. Adam Smith (D-9th Washington)
Rep. Eliot L. Engel (D-16th New York)
Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-3rd Oregon)
Rep. Elijah E. Cummings (D-7th Maryland)
Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-30th Texas)
Rep. Niki Tsongas (D-3rd Massachusetts)
Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-12th New Jersey)
Rep. Joe Crowley (D-14th New York)
Rep. Keith Ellison (D- 5th Minnesota)
Rep. Michael M. Honda (D-17th California)
Rep. Danny K. Davis (D-7th Illinois)
Rep. Mark Pocan (D-2nd Wisconsin)
Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney (D-12th New York)
Rep. Sander M. Levin (D-9th Michigan)
Rep. Jared Huffman (D-2nd California)
Rep. Betty McCollum (D-4th Minnesota)
Rep. Steve Israel (D-3rd New York)
Rep. Mark DeSaulnier (D-11th California)
Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-17th Pennsylvania)
Rep Sam Farr (D-20th California)
Rep. Dan Kildee (D-5th Michigan)
Rep. Juan Vargas (D 51st California)
Rep. James R. Langevin (D-2nd Rhode Island)
Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-8th Maryland)
Rep. Norma J. Torres (D-35th California)
Rep. Seth Moulton (D-6th Massachusetts)
Rep. Lois Frankel (D-22nd Florida)
Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-19th California)
###
