[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 85 (Wednesday, May 18, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Page S2554]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                      Buffalo, New York, Shooting

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, yesterday, I joined with President Biden, 
Senator Gillibrand, and New York officials on one of the most difficult 
and painful trips imaginable.
  Visiting Buffalo 3 days after the worst mass shooting in its history 
was harrowing. I met a young boy, just 3 years old, who I learned lost 
his dad on Saturday because his dad was at Tops supermarket buying a 
birthday cake for the 3-year-old boy--a routine errand for a joyous 
occasion, something every parent looks forward to. In the blink of an 
eye, his life was unfairly and cruelly taken away simply because he was 
Black and in a supermarket.
  It is tempting to think that this evil is beyond comprehension, but 
we know it is just not true. We know the shooter drew from the same 
wells of hate and White supremacy that inspired other shootings in El 
Paso, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Charleston, and other communities. By now, 
we know the shooter was inspired by a deranged conspiracy theory known 
as the ``great replacement.'' Indeed, in his online posts, he labeled 
the people he targeted as ``replacers.''
  But the truth is that you don't need to visit the dark corners of the 
internet to see these White supremacist views anymore. You can find 
replacement theory on cable networks like FOX News, where Tucker 
Carlson used White replacement rhetoric on at least 400 episodes of his 
show. You can hear it at most Trump rallies every time the Republican 
standard-bearer vilifies undocumented immigrants and spreads the lie 
that they stole the 2020 election. Last night, the GOP in Pennsylvania 
nominated a hard-right disciple of the Big Lie as their candidate for 
Governor. You can also find many examples of replacement theory on 
Twitter. One House Member said in April that Tucker Carlson ``is 
CORRECT about Replacement Theory as he explains what is happening to 
America.''
  The radical views of MAGA Republicans are taking over the GOP like a 
cancer. We saw it play out earlier this month in the wake of the 
Supreme Court's possible elimination of Roe, as they suggested national 
bans on abortion and championed restrictions without exceptions for 
rape or incest. Now we are seeing it here, as MAGA Republicans openly 
champion a repressive and conspiratorial view of who deserves to be 
called American.
  To its credit, the Wall Street Journal Editorial Board wrote a few 
days ago that politicians have an ``obligation'' to condemn 
conspiracies like White replacement theory. But 4 days after the 
shooting in Buffalo, it is dangerous and disturbing to see that many on 
the right have pointedly refused to condemn replacement theory. This 
should be the easiest thing in the world to do, but many on the right, 
including too many in this Chamber, can't seem to bring themselves to 
say the obvious: that White replacement theory is evil and has no place 
in our politics, and any candidate or pundit who spreads it should be 
resoundingly condemned.
  We are waiting to hear more of our colleagues condemn the MAGA right 
and condemn this horrible replacement theory. So far, there is just too 
much silence, even though a few have.