U.S. Rep. Randy Fine (R-Fla.) isn’t bowing down to Democrats who are demanding that he be punished for expressing his preference for dogs over Muslims and plans to introduce a new bill as a middle finger to his critics.
Congressional Dems have spent much of the week raging against the Florida Republican over his response to a New York City Muslim activist who opined that dogs are “unclean” and don’t belong indoors, a key belief of the Islamic faith, but one that is just downright un-American.
“Finally, NYC is coming to Islam,” wrote Nerdeen Kiswani in a post to X. “Dogs definitely have a place in society, just not as indoor pets. Like we’ve said all along, they are unclean.”
Finally, NYC is coming to Islam. Dogs definitely have a place in society, just not as indoor pets. Like we’ve said all along, they are unclean.
— Nerdeen Kiswani (@NerdeenKiswani) February 12, 2026
Kiswani is a backer of newly sworn-in New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, the first Muslim to be elected as the city’s mayor, and more proof that “NYC is coming to Islam” as she celebrated.
Fine reacted to the attack on “man’s best friend” by posting, “If they force us to choose, the choice between dogs and Muslims is not a difficult one,” sending Democrats into a foaming-at-the-mouth fury that stopped just short of calling for his head to be lopped off with a sword, Islamic style.
This is genuinely one of the most disgusting statements I have ever seen issued by an American official.
It should not stop shocking us that the Republican Party openly embraces this. Fine should be censured & stripped of committees. To ignore this is to accept and normalize it. https://t.co/OPHd5jtM2b
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) February 17, 2026
“Republican leaders must hold this so-called Member of Congress accountable,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) said in a statement. “Political violence, xenophobia and hate crimes against the Muslim community are on the rise. House Democrats will not let the racist and bigoted behavior of Randy Fine go unchecked. Accountability is coming to all of these sick extremists when the gavels change hands in November, if not sooner.”
But the “Hebrew Hammer” remains defiant amid the outcry and demands for his censure, telling his Democrat critics to go “pound sand” with his proposed legislation that is mud in their eyes.
“I am proud to introduce the Protecting Puppies from Sharia Act,” Fine wrote in a Thursday post to X. “Democrats are losing their minds because I made a simple statement—given a choice between our dogs and those who would ban them, the choice is easy. They can pound sand.”
I am proud to introduce the Protecting Puppies from Sharia Act.
Democrats are losing their minds because I made a simple statement—given a choice between our dogs and those who would ban them, the choice is easy.
They can pound sand.
This bill will ban federal funds to any… pic.twitter.com/KjertyzUJc
— Congressman Randy Fine (@RepFine) February 19, 2026
“This bill will ban federal funds to any state or local government that considers dogs ‘haram.’ Proceed accordingly, Mamdani,” he added, using the Arabic term for forbidden in Islam.
“In America, we will not allow anyone to tell us that we cannot have dogs,” the congressman said in a statement. “My bill protects Americans’ right to own a dog and would not allow federal funding to be given to any state or local government that bans them as Haram.”
“There are 57 countries that are Sharia compliant; the United States will not be the 58th,” Fine vowed.
“All the Democrats have criticized me, every single one of them, not a single one has said, ‘I promise I will never let anyone take your dogs away.’ You know why? Because they don’t want to offend those who do,” he told The Hill in a Thursday phone interview.
Fine plans to formally introduce the “Protecting Puppies From Sharia Act” on Friday. The bill’s co-sponsors include Reps. Brandon Gill (R-TX), Mary Miller (R-IL), Chip Roy (R-TX), and Keith Self (R-TX,) who are also members of the Sharia Free-America Caucus.
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