U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY) announced Monday that she has been selected as a Co-Chair of the House Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism.
Meng joins other Co-Chairs Reps. Ted Deutch (D-FL), Chris Smith (R-NJ), Marc Veasey (D-TX), Kay Granger (R-TX), Randy Weber (R-TX), Ted Lieu (D-CA) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA). The Co-Chairs announced the relaunch of the Task Force today for the new 117th session of Congress that began in January.
“Jewish communities here at home and around the world are under attack, whether in the form of vandalism, physical violence, or online harassment. Even today, we recognize and are constantly reminded that antisemitism is not a thing of the past. Indeed, 76 years after the end of World War II, there are still those who deny and attempt to rewrite the history of the Holocaust which took the lives of 6 million Jews,” said the Co-Chairs in a joint statement. “Congress and the federal government must play a role in protecting this community and addressing the rise in anti-Semitic incidents domestically and globally. We stand ready to work with President Biden to combat antisemitism. We encourage the swift nomination of an Ambassador-at-Large to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism, in accordance with Task Force-endorsed legislation which elevated the position to Ambassador introduced by Rep. Christopher Smith and Rep. Brad Schneider and enacted last Congress, and to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism. As co-Chairs of this caucus, we are committed to strengthening our government’s response to antisemitism and ensuring the memory of the Holocaust is never forgotten.”
In the last Congress, there were at least 175 Members of Congress who were part of the Task Force. The Task Force works to ensure that Congress plays an integral role in condemning antisemitism and spearheading initiatives that promote tolerance worldwide.
In the 117th Congress, it will continue to serve as a forum for educating Members of Congress on this distinct form of intolerance and to engage with the Administration, foreign leaders, and civil society organizations to share best practices and collaborate on solutions to rebuff this systemic problem. It will also promote Holocaust remembrance in concert with exploring innovative ways to teach tolerance and confront hate.