Strongly Condemning and Denouncing the Drastic Rise of Antisemitism in the United States and Around the World

Floor Speech

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Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise to share my deep concern with H. Res. 894 and the way it fails to address the rise in hate speech and threats occurring in our country and around the world. Over the last several weeks, the House has rightly made efforts to condemn antisemitism and show support for the Jewish people. However, this resolution does not seriously address the rise in antisemitism in any tangible way, and the actions of the Majority to treat this issue as an opportunity to confuse and sow division is redundant, devoid of meaning, and ultimately harmful to the cause of rebuking hate in all its forms.

Congress must take meaningful steps to fight against antisemitism. We can do this by stepping away from political games and fully implementing the Biden Administration's National Antisemitism Strategy, a whole-of-government approach to fighting antisemitism in the United States.

I also want to underscore the importance of prioritizing the safety of Jewish, Palestinian, and Muslim communities. The resolution before us today is silent on the concurrent rise of anti-Arab hate and Islamophobia happening in America, and by failing to include all instances of bigotry stemming from the conflict, we are missing an opportunity to condemn hate in all its forms.

In Congress we must be open to discussing and disagreeing about challenging topics, including about Israel and Gaza. I remain committed to condemning hate speech and the violence it inspires and believe that any actions considered in the House must also do so. For these reasons, I must vote present on this resolution.

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