Chairman grassley welcome, everybody, to a very important hearing that we have. Thank you for being patient while we get started here. Ill have an opening statement. Senator feinstein will. And then well godirble introduce our first panel. Then when were done there go to the second panel and introduce that at that time. The Senate Judiciary committee today is holding a hearing that we entitled responses to the increase in religious hate crimes. This is a subject of great bipartisan interest in the committee. Religious hate crimes harm victims. And also have a great impact on communities. Many of these crimes would never have been committed but for hatred. They run counter to americas values such as religious freedom and tolerance. Americans have the right to be safe against those who would treat them as members of religious groups rather than as individuals. Religious hate crimes are on the rise. Crimes against jewish people are the most common religious hate crimes, and they have incr