House Republicans Restore Order: Congress Passes Clean Funding Extension and Full-Year Appropriations Bills to Reopen Government
Washington, D.C. – As a leading advocate on religious liberty, House Appropriations Committee Member Rep. Riley Moore (R-WV) spoke at a hearing of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, warning of the systematic persecution and slaughter of Nigerian Christians by armed militants, criminal groups, and jihadists. Rep. Moore urged the Nigerian government to immediately prioritize the protection of vulnerable Christian communities and disarm the threat of these violent groups.
Following President Trump’s October 31st directive, the House Appropriations Committee is developing a comprehensive report on the massacre of Christians in Nigeria and how Congress can adequately respond to support the Trump Administration’s efforts to protect vulnerable communities of faith around the world.
This work builds on National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Subcommittee Chairman Mario Díaz-Balart’s (R-FL) FY26 bill, which reaffirms the White House’s designation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern, and reinforces U.S. security through policies focused on strengthening counterterrorism, improving security coordination, championing human rights protections, and bolstering global stability to defend U.S. interests. Peace through strength remains the cornerstone of American global leadership.
Watch Rep. Moore’s remarks here and read them below.
“Thank you, Chairman Smith, for convening this hearing. I just want to recognize real quick the tremendous impact that Chairman Smith has had in this realm of human rights and Christian persecution over the decades. I’m a former staff member, actually, of this committee. I worked on this committee when Chairman Smith was on this committee. He had a very large impact on me as a staff member. And to come full circle back around to be on a hearing on such an issue that was inspired by Chairman Smith’s work here when I was a staff member. Thank you for that.
“I think one of the things that’s, I would say, disheartening in this, hearing some of the media reporting and frankly, some of my colleagues on the other side of the dais here, is this misdirection of what is happening. There is a persecution of Christians in Nigeria. The witnesses have made that clear. We heard the bishop speak. I don’t know how many times we have to hear it or how many reports of murdered, martyred Christians, my brothers and sisters in Christ in Nigeria, how many times do we have to hear that happen to take it seriously? And one of the things that concerns me is that it feels like, at times, it’s echoing in indifference around this, and somehow, we’re going to develop our way out of it through developmental programs. And this indifference sounds like echoes of Rwanda to me, where we did nothing on that. I think, as you remember quite clearly, President Clinton has stated [Rwanda] as one of his largest failures in his Administration.
“President Trump has made a definitive decision to actively engage and stop the killing in Nigeria. And I think he deserves a lot of credit for that. You all have used a word that I think is very apt in this, and this is ‘prioritization.’ As Chairman Smith put it perfectly in his opening statement, when he spoke with the senior officials [from the] Nigerian government, is that we do want to work with them. We have the opportunity here. I think Nigerians have an opportunity to deepen and strengthen their relationship with the United States if they will prioritize the protection of these communities. Of course, non-Christians are being killed too, [we’re] not saying that’s not happening, but there is a systematic, targeted campaign that’s happening here.
“I met with that same delegation, and some of the feedback we were getting is a little bit of that same misdirection. But let’s not turn a blind eye to what’s happening. Let’s not believe our lying eyes. One thing I’d want to point out here is, we’ve had religious organizations and advocacy groups that have been calling for humanitarian assistance in the Middle Belt region. And my understanding is that the Tinubu Administration has not specifically requested it. That’s why it’s not there. They just have to ask for it, and our State Department will then provide that assistance to those organizations on the ground. That is a perfect example of prioritization and indifference to what is happening here. So that would be a great, to use your department’s term, ‘confidence-building measure’ on the part of the Tinubu government in this, if they are serious about this, because I can promise you, President Trump is very serious about this.
“A question that I have for you is, the Nigerian constitution prohibits the ownership of firearms, but somehow these Fulani militants operating in the Middle Belt region of the country are all armed. And we’re not talking about ISIS, we’re not talking about Boko Haram. Why hasn’t there been some type of move or campaign by the Nigerian government to disarm these militants that are operating there, where we’re seeing a lot of this killing that is coming from them – they have access to AK-47s and other small arms to slaughter Christians. Is this something that you’ve been talking to the Nigerian government about? Because I think it would actually have a serious impact, and it is something that I raised with the Nigerian government officials when we met with them…
“It just seems to make all the sense in the world to me. I understand we’re not going to get, like, ISIS to lay their arms down. That’s probably more of a kinetic option there that’s going to result in their arms no longer being brought up in anger against Christians. But in any event, this seems to be something that – I’m not saying it’s easy, but it is something that they should be doing – they should be looking at.
“I would urge the Nigerian government to take a look at pardoning Sunday Jackson, who is an individual who was fighting for his own life, defending his life, against one of these Fulani militants. That Fulani militant lost his life in that struggle. And now that person, Sunday Jackson, is facing the death penalty. Now, where’s the justice in that? Where is the justice in that? And all these Fulani militants are breaking the law. They are breaking Nigerian law. Sunday Jackson disarms this person with a knife, protects his own life. He’s going to prison and now faces the death penalty, and Fulani militants – just roaming bands of them – with AK-47s, that’s no problem. You are so right about this question of prioritization.”
Watch the full hearing here and read highlights from Subcommittee Chair Smith’s remarks below.
Appropriators are committed to working with authorizers to protect Christians in Nigeria and support the Trump Administration’s foreign policy. Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, similarly emphasized the dangers of the ongoing persecution and slaughter of Nigerian Christians and called on the Tinubu administration to take advantage of this opportunity to strengthen ties with the United States by prioritizing the protection of Christians.
“The systematic slaughter of Christians in Nigeria’s Middle Belt is a genocide met with years of shameful indifference – this is not just a crisis, it’s a moral catastrophe that demands our immediate attention, lest it echo the failures of Rwanda… President Trump’s bold redesignation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern reverses the inaction of prior administrations and sends a clear message: the United States will no longer stand by while our brothers and sisters in Christ are martyred.
“The Tinubu administration has an opportunity to strengthen ties with America by prioritizing the protection of religious minorities, disarming Fulani militants armed with AK-47s in violation of Nigerian law, and requesting the humanitarian aid already available from our State Department to save lives in the Middle Belt… Let’s not turn a blind eye – Nigeria must act now: request U.S. assistance, enforce disarmament, and pardon defenders like Sunday Jackson facing death for protecting their own lives, or risk deepening the rift in our bilateral relationship.”
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