[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 85 (Wednesday, May 18, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H5123-H5127]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CONDEMNING RISING ANTISEMITISM
Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution
(H. Res. 1125) condemning rising antisemitism, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The text of the resolution is as follows:
H. Res. 1125
Whereas the Jewish-American experience is a story of faith,
fortitude, and progress and is connected to key tenets of
American identity;
Whereas generations of Jewish people have come to this
Nation fleeing oppression, discrimination, and persecution in
search of a better life for themselves and their children;
Whereas these Jewish Americans have created lives for
themselves and their families and played indispensable roles
in our Nation's civic and community life, making invaluable
contributions to our Nation through their leadership and
achievements;
Whereas, on August 21, 1790, President George Washington
sent a letter to the Hebrew Congregation of Newport, Rhode
Island, expressing that the newly formed United States would
be a Nation that ``gives to bigotry no sanction, to
persecution no assistance'' and that the Jewish people should
``dwell in this land [and] continue to merit and enjoy the
good will of the other inhabitants . . . and there shall be
none to make him afraid.'';
Whereas we should acknowledge and celebrate the crucial
contributions that Jewish Americans have made to our
collective struggle for a more just and fair society, leading
movements for justice and equality, and working to ensure
opportunities for all;
Whereas alongside this narrative of achievement and
opportunity, there is also a history, far older than the
Nation itself, of racism, bigotry, and other forms of
prejudice manifesting in the scourge of antisemitism;
Whereas antisemitism is an insidious form of prejudice
stretching back millennia that attacks the humanity of the
Jewish people and has led to violence, destruction of lives
and communities, and genocide;
Whereas conspiracy theories that Jews are uniquely evil and
influential has led to mass killings of Jews throughout time,
including the poisonous Nazi ideology that resulted in the
murder of 6,000,000 Jews, including 1,500,000 Jewish
children, and millions of other victims of the Nazis in
Europe;
Whereas over the course of the past decade, Holocaust
distortion and denial has grown in intensity;
Whereas a 2020 survey of all 50 States in the United States
on Holocaust knowledge among Millennials and Gen Z conducted
by the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany
(Claims Conference), found a clear lack of awareness of key
historical facts; 63 percent of respondents did not know that
6,000,000 Jews were murdered during the Holocaust and 36
percent thought that ``two million or fewer Jews'' were
killed;
Whereas there is a documented and dangerous rise of
antisemitism globally and in the United States, where Jews
are increasingly affected by the grotesque spread of
misinformation and lies including blame for the spread of
COVID-19, false claims including the control of the media and
the financial system, accusations of dual loyalty, and a
multitude of negative stereotypes;
[[Page H5124]]
Whereas the American Jewish Committee (AJC)'s 2021 State of
Antisemitism in America report, a survey of American Jews and
the general public's perceptions of antisemitism, revealed 24
percent of American Jews have been personally targeted by
antisemitism in the past 12 months, 4 in 10 American Jews
changed their behavior at least once out of fear of
antisemitism, 90 percent believe antisemitism is a problem in
the United States, and 82 percent feel it has increased in
the past 5 years;
Whereas, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation,
Jews were the target of 55 percent of all religiously
motivated hate crimes in 2020, despite accounting for no more
than 2 percent of the United States population;
Whereas the Anti-Defamation League (ADL)'s 2021 Audit of
Antisemitic Incidents in the United States recorded 2,717
acts of assault, vandalism, and harassment this past year
alone, an average of more than 7 incidents per day; a 34-
percent increase from 2020 and the highest year on record
since ADL began tracking antisemitic incidents in 1979;
Whereas 525 antisemitic incidents took place at Jewish
institutions, an increase of 61 percent from data collected
in 2020;
Whereas antisemitic assaults increased by 167 percent in
2021 compared to the previous year and assaults in 2021 were
138 percent higher than the rolling 5-year average of
antisemitic assaults;
Whereas there was a substantial surge of antisemitic
incidents in the United States in May 2021, 387 incidents
were reported, a 141 percent increase in reports of
antisemitic incidents compared to May 2020; Jewish
individuals were violently attacked in major cities including
New York and Los Angeles;
Whereas the use of antisemitic language, conspiracy
theories, and hatred has increased on multiple social media
platforms--from Facebook and Instagram to Twitter and TikTok,
among others--including tropes about Jewish control and
messages praising Hitler and demonizing all Jews;
Whereas a recent example of the violent antisemitism took
place on Saturday, January 15, 2022, when, during religious
services at Congregation Beth Israel, a terrorist held 4
people, including a rabbi, hostage at gunpoint for 11 hours;
Whereas police departments in a number of American cities,
including New York and Los Angeles, have said that they are
stepping up patrols at synagogues and other locations
associated with the Jewish community following the hostage
situation;
Whereas there are regular acts of antisemitic vandalism
against synagogues and Jewish schools in the United States
and numerous nonlethal attacks on American Jews, leaving many
Jews feeling increasingly unsafe in public spaces and houses
of worship;
Whereas AJC's 2021 State of Antisemitism in America report
revealed 56 percent of respondents' religious institutions
increased security since the Tree of Life synagogue shooting;
and
Whereas the rise in antisemitism is part of the larger
trend of the rise of hate-filled movements that are targeting
marginalized communities here in the United States: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) calls on elected officials, faith leaders, and civil
society leaders to use their bully pulpit to condemn and
combat any and all manifestations of antisemitism;
(2) calls on elected officials to condemn and combat any
and all denials and distortions of the Holocaust and to
promote Holocaust and antisemitism education;
(3) calls for amplifying and ensuring United States
leadership to fight global antisemitism, working with the
Department of State's Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat
Antisemitism and intensifying cooperation with international
governments and parliaments around the world;
(4) works in tandem with the cross-party Inter-
Parliamentary Task Force to Combat Online Antisemitism to
help craft thoughtful global initiatives designed to address
online antisemitism;
(5) calls on social media platforms to institute stronger
and more significant efforts to measure and address online
antisemitism while protecting free speech concerns;
(6) takes all possible steps to improve the physical
security of Jewish institutions and organizations, including
by using existing tools such as increasing funding for the
Nonprofit Security Grant Program of the Department of
Homeland Security to keep at-risk houses of worship, schools,
and community centers safe from terrorist attacks and other
forms of antisemitic violence;
(7) ensures the safety, security, and dignity of American
Jews in all aspects of their lives, including the workplace,
college and university campuses, synagogues, and at home; the
development of these measures must reflect the full diversity
of the Jewish community in its entirety; and
(8) supports the right of Americans to freely exercise
their religious beliefs and rejects all forms of terror and
hate.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Tennessee (Mr. Cohen) and the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Chabot) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Tennessee.
{time} 1415
General Leave
Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have
5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include
extraneous material on H. Res. 1125.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Tennessee?
There was no objection.
Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, Jewish Americans have contributed an immense amount to
our country in politics, and in justice, and all fields of science, the
arts, and the greatest left-handed pitcher of all time, Sandy Koufax.
So much has been contributed by the Jewish community, yet there has
been much anti-Semitism.
There has been anti-Semitism throughout history against Jewish
people. It is sad. And it has been rising in America and continues to
rise.
We saw the killings in Buffalo, New York, aimed at African Americans,
but the killer, in his manifesto, said he not only wanted to get rid of
and kill African Americans, but he also considered himself anti-
Semitic, and indeed he was.
He fostered some crazy theory of replacement, some replacement theory
that I had not really heard about, and he claimed that Jews were in
favor of. Well, that is just malarkey.
We need to fight this anti-Semitism, and nobody more than Debbie
Wasserman Schultz, our colleague from Florida, has done more to have
folks reflect on the contributions of Jewish people during Jewish
Heritage Month, which she sponsored and passed and keeps alive, and
then the passage of this resolution to bring anti-Semitism to our
attention.
It is important that we pass this, and that we understand Jewish
American Heritage Month, which is this May, while we celebrate the
contributions of Jewish Americans and we reject hate whenever and
wherever it appears.
I thank Ms. Wasserman Schultz again--she has done so much, and she is
a leader in this area and so many others as well--for bringing this
resolution.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
House of Representatives,
Committee on Foreign Affairs,
Washington, DC, May 18, 2022.
Hon. Jerrold Nadler,
Chair, Committee on the Judiciary, House of Representatives,
Washington, DC.
Dear Chair Nadler: In an effort to work cooperatively and
to expedite consideration of H. Res. 1125, Condemning Rising
Antisemitism, the Committee on Foreign Affairs agrees to
waive formal consideration of the resolution as to the
provisions that fall within the Rule X jurisdiction of the
Committee on Foreign Affairs.
The Committee on Foreign Affairs takes this action with the
mutual understanding that the Committee does not waive any
jurisdiction over the subject matter contained in H. Res.
1125 or similar legislation, and the Committee will be
appropriately consulted and involved as the resolution or
similar legislation moves forward.
Finally, I would appreciate your response to this letter
confirming this understanding and ask that a copy of our
exchange of letters on this matter be included in the
Congressional Record during Floor consideration of H. Res.
1125.
Sincerely,
Gregory W. Meeks,
Chair.
____
House of Representatives,
Committee on the Judiciary,
Washington, DC, May 18, 2022.
Hon. Gregory W. Meeks,
Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs, House of
Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Meeks: I am writing to you concerning H. Res.
1125, Condemning Rising Antisemitism.
I appreciate your willingness to work cooperatively on this
legislation. I recognize that the resolution contains
provisions that fall within the jurisdiction of the Committee
on Foreign Affairs. I acknowledge that your Committee will
not formally consider H. Res. 1125 and agree that the
inaction of your Committee with respect to the resolution
does not waive any future jurisdictional claim over the
matters contained in H. Res. 1125 which fall within your
Committee's Rule X jurisdiction.
I will ensure that our exchange of letters is included in
the Congressional Record during floor consideration of the
resolution. I appreciate your cooperation regarding this
legislation and look forward to continuing to work with you
as this measure moves through the legislative process.
Sincerely,
Jerrold Nadler,
Chairman.
Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
[[Page H5125]]
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 1125, which clearly
and vigorously condemns anti-Semitism. During Jewish American Heritage
Month, it is critical to, once again, call attention to this vile form
of bigotry.
Persecution against any person, or any group on the basis of religion
is absolutely wrong. It is a fundamental value upon which this Nation
was founded, which is why the free exercise of religion is protected in
the very first amendment to our Constitution.
The historic and pervasive nature that makes anti-Semitism a truly
unique problem has, unfortunately, proven to make it difficult to
overcome. In the aftermath of the Holocaust, the world realized just
how pernicious anti-Semitism was and has been for centuries, and
rightly sought to eliminate it.
Unfortunately, despite this recognition, Jewish Americans have
experienced a rise in anti-Semitism. From their places of worship to
their neighborhoods, Jewish Americans experience anti-Semitism all too
often. And the incidents range from mere slurs all the way to outright
violence.
Regrettably, Jewish Americans have even been attacked in major cities
such as Pittsburgh, New York, and Los Angeles just to name some.
At the same time, our Nation's collective memories of the Holocaust,
unfortunately, continues to fade. That is why it is critically
important to condemn anti-Semitism in no uncertain terms, without
drawing false equivalencies or diminishing anti-Semitism just as
another form of bigotry.
I am concerned about the references to government intervention in the
online speech, and I do wish my Democratic colleagues had been willing
to work with us to ensure that that particular portion actually
represented the sentiment of the entire House on those issues. We
cannot allow our shared desire to combat anti-Semitism to lead to
censorship and control, which may only exacerbate the problem.
Our Jewish friends deserve our respect and admiration and
appreciation. That is why, for my time in Congress I have always tried
and always sought to support Jewish Americans, as well as Israel. So
while I am not happy with every aspect of this resolution, I urge my
colleagues to support it.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz).
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for
yielding, and for both gentlemen's remarks.
Mr. Speaker, 17 years ago, the first legislation I passed as a Member
of Congress declared the month of May as Jewish American Heritage
Month, or JAHM, and urged the President of the United States to make
that declaration on behalf of the United States.
Since that resolution passed, every President has issued a
proclamation declaring May as Jewish American Heritage Month.
The mission of JAHM is to educate all Americans about the
contributions American Jews have made to our Nation for more than 350
years.
Jews have blazed American trails, from the battlefield and basketball
court, across the biggest stages, to the big screen, and from the
Supreme Court, to civil rights and social justice movements. Our story
is woven into America's history, through generations of leaders.
Yet, as we who honor the profound impact American Jews made on our
national history and culture, I must sadly acknowledge that the
recognition and understanding JAHM seeks to foster is critically needed
now more than ever.
There has been a precipitous rise in anti-Semitism. In the last year
alone, the Anti-Defamation League reports that anti-Semitic incidents
are up 34 percent nationwide.
The American Jewish Committee reports that 24 percent of American
Jews were personally targeted by anti-Semitism in the past 12 months.
Four in 10 American Jews changed their behavior at least once out of
fear of anti-Semitism. An alarming 90 percent believe anti-Semitism is
a problem in the United States.
We also know that there has been a particularly disturbing surge in
assaults against Americans who are identifiably Jewish by virtue of
their wearing religious garb, particular clothing, or based upon the
locations in which they live or shop.
In May 2021, during the military conflict between Israel and Hamas,
there was a substantial surge of anti-Semitic incidents in the U.S.,
with 387 of them reported, or a 148 percent increase in reports of
anti-Semitic incidents compared to May of 2020.
Anti-Semitism also emerged in the horrific Buffalo shooting, where an
armed white terrorist targeted African Americans for mass murder. He
was driven, in part, by a xenophobic plan called replacement theory,
which at its root, blames Jews for masterminding an effort to erode the
power of White Americans. This madness will only fuel more violence,
and it cannot be allowed to stand.
To combat this anti-Semitic scourge in our communities, leaders
throughout our country must firmly, and clearly, and forcefully
denounce the alarming rise in rampant hate, violence, and harassment
targeting Jewish Americans.
That is why I am proud today to bring H. Res. 1125 to the floor,
which is unequivocal, bipartisan condemnation of anti-Semitism, because
enough is enough.
This resolution denounces the alarming rise in anti-Semitism in the
United States and globally, and it issues a call for real, concrete
action to combat it. Those action items include:
Promoting Holocaust education, Jewish identity, and anti-Semitism
education, along with condemnation of all denials and distortions of
the Holocaust.
Working with the newly confirmed State Department's Special Envoy to
Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism to ensure U.S. leadership in the fight
against global anti-Semitism.
Working with all social media platforms to institute stronger efforts
to address online anti-Semitism, while protecting First Amendment
rights.
Taking all possible steps to improve the physical security of Jewish
institutions, including increased funding for the Nonprofit Security
Grant Program so it can continue its essential work of protecting
Jewish and other faith-based institutions across the country.
Ensuring the safety, security, and dignity of American Jews in all
aspects of their lives, including the workplace, university campuses,
and at home.
During Jewish American Heritage Month, we celebrate the continued
diversity and contributions to American life by the Jewish community.
In doing so, we must also acknowledge anti-Semitism is not a relic of
the past but remains a clear and present danger today.
Taking action today is just one step. Let us renew our commitment to
defending the rights of all people.
Before I end, I want to take a moment to thank all those who made
today possible: my co-leads, Congressmen Mario Diaz-Balart, Brad
Schneider, and Lee Zeldin and, of course, Leader Hoyer, and many other
colleagues and staff whose effort helped bring this resolution to the
floor today.
Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers and would be
willing to close at this time unless the gentleman has additional
speakers.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from
Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), the distinguished leader of the House of
Representatives, a gentleman who continues to amaze me each and every
day with his vast knowledge, and his big heart, and his love for
justice.
Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished gentleman for his
very generous comments and congratulate him for his leadership in so
many different ways, not only on this subcommittee, but also on the
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, which he chairs, and
which is so focused on human rights throughout the world.
I thank Mr. Cohen and Mr. Chabot for their leadership on this and
bringing this to the floor, bringing it in a bipartisan fashion. I
appreciate that very much.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend, the Congresswoman from Florida,
Debbie Wasserman Schultz. Debbie Wasserman Schultz has been a giant,
yes, on anti-Semitism, but on civil rights and human rights generally.
[[Page H5126]]
We understand that if one of us is at risk, all of us are at risk if
we do not honor the rights of each individual in our country. And, as a
matter of fact, that is one of the things that makes us so distinct.
This is an important resolution. It is a vital resolution. It is a
resolution that must be adopted so that Congress can make clear at this
moment, at this tragic moment in our history, that Jewish Americans can
feel safe and at home in our country, and that anti-Semitism has no
place here. Discrimination and bigotry and hate have no place in
America.
Throughout the month of May, we celebrate Jewish American Heritage
Month, as the gentlewoman pointed out. Why is that so important?
It is important because when we celebrate the achievements and
contributions of a community, we affirm that this community matters;
that those in it are valued members of our American family. That is why
Black lives matter, Jewish lives matter, individual lives matter.
But we know that there are particular groups who are targeted,
targeted for discrimination, and hate, and, yes, violence.
When we fail to recognize or celebrate the history and heritage of a
particular community, it sends a signal that they are not valued, that
they do not matter, and that they are not equal, that they do not
count.
Again and again throughout history, Jewish people were seen as lesser
than. Indeed, disturbingly, Jews were seen as less than human, which
inevitably led to the discrimination, violence and, yes, even the
genocide of the last century.
Jews who came to our shores were seeking a place to live in safety
and freedom. We should be proud of that, and we need to protect that.
Tragically, anti-Semitism followed Jewish Americans from the Old World
to the new one and has become a growing cancer on our body politic.
Too many Americans need to hear the loud voices of their Congress
calling out anti-Semitism because too many of our fellow citizens are
hearing leaders they support and trust either give voice to anti-
Semitism or rationalize anti-Semitism. It is not enough simply to be
against anti-Semitism. We must not rationalize or temporize with anti-
Semitism.
In recent weeks, we have heard more and more about the great
replacement theory, a twisted conspiratorial ideology rooted in
historic anti-Semitism and racism that has been used by those seeking
to justify heinous acts of domestic terrorism targeting minorities.
That is what happened in Buffalo.
We recall it from the billowing echoes of ``Jews will not replace
us'' from the marchers in Charlottesville in 2017.
We have also heard accusations of dual loyalty tropes about Jewish
financial and political control that inspired the Nazis and, yes, the
Soviets alike in their horrific persecution of Jews in the 20th
century.
Now, Mr. Speaker, in the 21st century, much of this anti-Semitism is
fueled online through social media. We must not ignore it. It must not
be allowed to metastasize.
{time} 1430
We have a chance to do that today.
As we celebrate Jewish American Heritage Month, let us do so with
gratitude and with joy, but also with concern and vigilance: Concern
for what anti-Semitism does to Jewish communities in America and for
what it does to our Nation and our democracy; and vigilance against
those who would infect our politics and our culture with the same evils
that gave the world places like Auschwitz, Dachau, and Babyn Yar.
One of the most important ways Americans can support our Jewish
brothers and sisters in this country during this time of dangerous and
rising anti-Semitism is to say, ``We see you. We stand with you. You
matter. You count. You are part of this country and of our community,''
and to do so without qualification or equivocation.
Every Jewish American, like every American, deserves to feel safe and
respected in America. Period.
Let us affirm that today. Let us affirm it every day. Let us declare
that with one strong voice today and every day.
Mr. CHABOT. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. COHEN. Madam Speaker, I yield 2\1/4\ minutes to the gentleman
from Illinois (Mr. Schneider), a great supporter of this resolution and
the ideas contained therein.
Mr. SCHNEIDER. Madam Speaker, I rise today resolved to continue to
stand against anti-Semitism wherever it appears.
Sadly, in this country, incidents of anti-Semitism, according to the
ADL, are up 34 percent, more than 2,700 incidents reported just last
year.
More specifically, according to ADL numbers, attacks on synagogues
and community centers were up 61 percent; incidents at K through 12
schools are up 106 percent; incidents on college campuses, which were
already suffering from large increases in anti-Semitism, were up 21
percent. These include 88 incidents of assault, 1,776 incidents of
harassment, and 853 reported incidents of vandalism. This is only what
was reported. We know that there are more than what is reported from
every State and the District of Columbia.
This past weekend, a white supremacist, who espoused racist and anti-
Semitic views, murdered 10 people simply because of the color of their
skin. His rage was fueled by the anti-Semitic great replacement
conspiracy theory that is being spewed by so many people in so many
places.
Congress and America as a whole must stand strong against anti-
Semitism. As leaders, those of us here, we must speak up and call out
anti-Semitism wherever it is.
I am grateful for my colleagues on both sides of the aisle who join
in this resolution today. I call on everyone to support this.
Mr. CHABOT. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. COHEN. Madam Speaker, I close and ask everybody to support this
important resolution.
Mr. CHABOT. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill
on both sides of aisle, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. COHEN. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Madam Speaker, condemning Rising Antisemitism, H.
Res. 1125, acknowledges the multitude of contributions that American
Jews have made to our nation. This legislation also condemns the
documented and dangerous rise of Antisemitism globally and
domestically.
This month we celebrate Jewish American History Month and remember
the contributions that Jewish people have made to our nation. As a
Nation of immigrants, the United States is better and stronger because
Jewish people from all over the world have chosen to become American
citizens. Since first arriving in the America's in 1654, Jewish
Americans have achieved great success, strengthened our country, and
helped shape our way of life.
Through their deep commitment to faith, family, and community, Jewish
Americans remind us of a basic belief that guided the founding of this
Nation. We must take the opportunity to not only remember these
contributions, but also thank the many Jewish Americans who defend our
ideals as members of the United States Armed Forces.
I am proud to vote for H. Res. 1125 today. Anti-Semitic attacks and
rhetoric must be met with clear voices of condemnation. Our Nation is
facing a rise in Anti-Semitism and White Supremacist extremism. I will
lend my voice to denounce Antisemitism today and every day and continue
to stand in solidarity with Jewish communities in California and across
our Nation.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Ms. Lofgren). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Cohen) that the House
suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1125, as
amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. ROY. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 3(s) of House Resolution
8, the yeas and nays are ordered.
Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this motion
are postponed.
[[Page H5127]]
____________________