Rep. Randy Fine is pushing new federal legislation to protect dog ownership after igniting a political firestorm with a social media post.
“If they force us to choose, the choice between dogs and Muslims is not a difficult one,” he tweeted.
The Florida Republican announced the proposal Thursday night, framing it as a defense of American values and pet ownership.
“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,” Fine wrote on X.
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
“They can pound sand. This bill will ban federal funds to any state or local government that considers dogs ‘haram.’ Proceed accordingly, Mamdani.”
He paired the announcement with a graphic featuring a modified Gadsden flag. The image replaced the traditional snake with a puppy above the phrase “Don’t tread on me.”
The graphic stated: “‘In America, we will not allow anyone to tell us that we cannot have dogs. 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’s comments followed an exchange with New York activist Nerdeen Kiswani, who posted on Feb. 12, “NYC is coming to Islam,” referencing Zohran Mamdani’s mayoral victory.
If they force us to choose, the choice between dogs and Muslims is not a difficult one.
— Congressman Randy Fine (@RepFine) February 15, 2026
“Dogs definitely have a place in society, just not as indoor pets. Like we’ve said all along, they are unclean,” Kiswani added.
Three days later, Fine responded with the now-viral remark about choosing between dogs and Muslims.
Kiswani later claimed her post was a joke tied to melting snow revealing dog waste. Fine rejected that explanation.
“There’s no reading of it that sounds satirical. There’s no, no reasonable person can say, ‘Ha ha, this is funny,’” Fine told The Hill.
He argued that religious objections to dogs should not dictate American norms.
“In Islam, they don’t like dogs, and I’m not criticizing their religion for believing that — you know, some in my religion, we don’t eat pork. … So when a major Muslim leader says we’ve got to get rid of them, you should take them seriously,” Fine said.
He added that cultural expectations should not shift to accommodate American newcomers.
“If a group of people says, ‘Hey, we’ve just shown up in your country, and dogs violate our religion, so you have to stop having them.’ My answer to them is, ‘No, these are our pets. You can go home,’” Fine said.
“Immigration means assimilation. Immigration doesn’t mean the people that were there have to change how they live to make you happy.”
The Protecting Puppies from Sharia Act would bar federal funds from any state or local government that prohibits residents from owning dogs.
The bill also includes a nonbinding “sense of Congress” declaring that “Sharia law is a foreign concept that is against the pursuit of happiness” and that “it is a right of all Americans to own a dog.”
We must call this what it is. Disgusting bigotry.
Fine must be censured. It's about morality and decency, not politics. https://t.co/FZ3zWBAC1Q
— Ro Khanna (@RoKhanna) February 16, 2026
Fine said he is introducing the legislation with Sharia Free-America Caucus Chairs Chip Roy and Keith Self, along with Brandon Gill, Mary Miller, Eli Crane, Sheri Biggs and House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris. He later added Eric Burlison and Mark Harris as cosponsors.
Democrats swiftly condemned Fine’s original comment.Ro Khanna reacted, “We must call this what it is. Disgusting bigotry,” adding, “Fine must be censured.”
Eric Swalwell wrote, “America is BETTER because of our Muslim community,” adding, “And we are WORSE when assholes like this guy spout hate.”
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called the post “genuinely one of the most disgusting statements I have ever seen issued by an American official” and said Fine “should be censured & stripped of committees.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom demanded, “Resign now, you racist slob,” while House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries labeled Fine “a disgrace to the United States Congress” and “an Islamaphobic, disgusting bigot.”
Fine countered that critics ignored what he views as the core issue. “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,” Fine told The Hill.
A major Muslim leader in NYC is calling for dogs to be forbidden because they “bother some Muslims.”
If Mainstream Muslims make us choose between keeping our dogs and them going home, the choice is easy. pic.twitter.com/FvaLpYE0oB
— Congressman Randy Fine (@RepFine) February 17, 2026
The controversy unfolds amid broader Republican efforts targeting Sharia law. In Texas, Sen. John Cornyn is advancing the “Defeat Sharia Law in America Act.”
Cornyn’s proposal would classify coercive enforcement of Sharia law as a violation of the Civil Rights Act and prohibit municipalities and companies from mandating adherence to its rules.
“Sharia Law is the antithesis of the rights, beliefs, and values that make Texas and America great, and we must root out and eradicate this existential threat to our way of life,” Cornyn said in a statement.
“I’m introducing the Defeat Sharia Law in America Act to ensure anti-American jihadists, and those who dare to try and implement Sharia Law’s hateful ideology in our freedom-loving, God-fearing communities, are stopped and held accountable for their radical discrimination and flagrant violation of our Constitution,” he added.
Congress has recently spotlighted the issue. The House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government held a hearing in early February, followed by a press conference by the Sharia-Free America Caucus.
Sen. Tommy Tuberville, who is co-sponsoring Cornyn’s bill and running for governor of Alabama, framed the matter in stark terms.
“Sharia Law is not a religion; it is a death cult and has no place in this country,” Tuberville told The New York Post.
“People are afraid to call out Sharia Law for what it is: an ideology that calls for the killing of freedom-loving Americans,” he added. “We have to take action against this poisonous ideology and protect Americans from the growing threat of Radical Islam.”
