Meeting Comes At A Time When Incidents of Antisemitic Harassment, Vandalism, and Violence In The U.S. Are At Highest Levels On Record
Rosen Led The Call To Form Administration’s Interagency Group To Counter Antisemitism And Develop National Strategy
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) led her colleagues in the Senate and House Bipartisan Task Forces for Combating Antisemitism in a meeting with Second Gentlemen Doug Emhoff, Domestic Policy Advisor Ambassador Susan Rice and Homeland Security Advisor Dr. Liz Sherwood-Randall to provide input on the Administration’s forthcoming national strategy to counter antisemitism. The meeting was attended by co-chair Senator James Lankford (R-OK), and co-chairs of the House Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism, Representatives Kathy Manning (D-NC-6), Grace Meng (D-NY-6), Randy Weber (R-TX-14), and Marc Veasey (D-TX-33).
“Jewish American communities have been the target of an alarming rise in antisemitic hate, bigotry, and violence, and it is critical that we respond swiftly to combat it with a whole-of-government approach,” said Senator Rosen. “Today, I convened the Senate and House Bipartisan Task Forces for Combating Antisemitism in a meeting with Administration officials to assess the progress on developing and implementing a national strategy to counter antisemitism, which I called for last year. This meeting highlighted the main pillars of the Administration’s forthcoming strategy and provided an opportunity for Members of Congress to shape the final document before it is released.”
“Sadly, antisemitism continues to rise in the US and around the nation. Today, the Senate and House Bipartisan Taskforces For Combatting Antisemitism came together with the Administration to discuss the National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism and ways we can partner together to stand firmly against antisemitism,” said Senator Lankford. “We are committed to working together to ensure we denounce antisemitism wherever and whenever we see it, educate young people about the Holocaust, and raise awareness about the dangers of antisemitism continuing to fester in our society. I will not allow this rise in antiemetic hate around our nation and around the world to continue unanswered.”
“The alarming rise of antisemitism shows the urgent need for a whole-of-government approach. I was pleased to host this important meeting between the White House and the leadership of the House and Senate Bipartisan Task Forces for Combating Antisemitism to provide input on the forthcoming national strategy to counter antisemitism,” said Representative Manning. “I am grateful to the Second Gentleman, Ambassador Rice, and Dr. Sherwood-Randall for meeting with us and for their commitment to this important issue. I look forward to working closely with the Biden administration to do everything we can in the fight against antisemitism.”
“I was glad to have the opportunity to meet with the White House today to discuss ways we can further protect Jewish Americans, who are experiencing an unprecedented rise in antisemitic hate crimes,” said Representative Meng. “Second Gentleman Emhoff and Ambassador Susan Rice provided helpful insights as to the upcoming National Strategy, and I appreciated them taking the opportunity to take into consideration my priorities to help ensure the safety of my Jewish constituents. The flat-out dangerous rise in antisemitism in my home state of New York requires an all of government response. As a member of Congress, the safety of my constituents is my number one priority. I will continue to do what I can to ensure that safety.”
“As a co-chair of the House Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism, I am committed to ridding the world of this hatred,” said Representative Weber. “The steep rise in antisemitism cannot be tolerated, and no community should live in fear. Our shared goal is to permanently eliminate the scourge of attacks on our Jewish brothers and sisters.”
“The alarming rise in antisemitic across our communities must be called out and confronted,” said Representative Veasey. “As elected officials, we must work together at every level of government to give this issue the attention it deserves and create policy solutions that will counter acts of hate. I am grateful that we have partners in the Administration like Second Gentleman Emhoff, Ambassador Rice, and Dr. Sherwood-Randall that we can continue to work alongside with in our fight against antisemitism.”
Senator Rosen has been at the forefront of the fight against antisemitism in the Senate. In December, Rosen led 125 colleagues in the Senate and House in a bipartisan, bicameral push calling for a unified national strategy to monitor and combat antisemitism. Senator Rosen co-founded the Senate Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism with Senator James Lankford in 2019, which has since helped advance bipartisan legislation aimed at countering antisemitism, hate, and bigotry. They recently introduced the Holocaust Education and Antisemitism Lessons (HEAL) Act to tackle the rise of antisemitism by strengthening Holocaust education in the United States.
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