Whereas St. Mark brought Christianity to Egypt, where Coptic Christians have been one of the indigenous people of Egypt for over 2,000 years; Whereas there are over 10,000,000 Copts in Egypt, making the Copts the largest Christian and the largest non-Muslim community in the Middle East; Whereas Copts and other Christians have been targets of societal aggression resulting in the loss of life, property, and the destruction of churches; Whereas, in January 2015, President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi was the first Egyptian President to make an appearance at a Coptic Christian Christmas liturgy; Whereas, in August 2016, Egypt passed Law 80 to streamline the church construction process; Whereas, as of November 2018, of the approximately 3,800 unlicensed churches awaiting legalization, authorities have conditionally recognized only 627; Whereas there are 39 members of Egypt’s Parliament that are Coptic; Whereas, in 2018, President el-Sisi appointed the first Coptic female Governor, Dr. Manal Awad Mikhael, to Damietta Governorate and a Coptic man, Dr. Gamal Gad Saad as Governor of Daqahleya Governorate; Whereas previously there were no Copts among the 27 Governors and 18 Deputy Governors in the entire country; Whereas Coptic Christians face discrimination in Egypt’s public-sector employment, including the police force, armed services, education, the judiciary, and the foreign service; Whereas Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) released a video calling Copts their favorite prey and warning of increased attacks; Whereas violence against Coptic Christians, particularly in local villages, is rarely punished, making Copts more susceptible to attacks; Whereas Egyptian Government officials frequently participate in informal reconciliation sessions to address incidents of sectarian violence or tension, saying that such sessions prevented further violence