I Know How Hard It is to Be Jewish

Floor Speech

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Ms. JACOBS. Mr. Speaker, as the youngest Jewish Member of Congress, I know personally how hard it feels to be Jewish because I live it every day.

I was in the House Chamber on January 6 when insurrectionists stormed the Capitol wearing T-shirts saying six million was not enough.

I have experienced anti-Semitism my whole life: Jokes about my big nose, my fuzzy hair, being called a kike while waiting to get a drink at a bar.

Anti-Semitism was on the rise before October 7, and now it is running rampant. In San Diego, we know how hateful and deadly it can be. Four years ago, we mourned a beloved community member who was killed in the Chabad of Poway, and it seems like every other week we are washing swastikas off our buildings or sidewalks.

I am so grateful to President Biden for his leadership, for not politicizing our pain, and for bringing together Jewish Members to discuss a whole-of-society approach to countering anti-Semitism.

We need to fully fund and implement the U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism to ensure that Jewish people are safe and respected everywhere.

I am committed to this work, not just for a news cycle but for life, and I hope my colleagues will join me in that effort.

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