Schakowsky Statement After the Vote on H.Res. 894

WASHINGTON – U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (IL-09) released the following statement after today's vote on H.Res. 894:

"As a proud Jewish Member of Congress representing a large and diverse Jewish community, I take very seriously the widespread and urgent threat of antisemitism. I have heard from hundreds of Jewish constituents, including my own loved ones, about their very real fears of going about their day-to-day activities – including attending school, synagogue, or even going to the grocery store. This is absolutely unacceptable.

"Unfortunately, the extreme Republican resolution, H.Res. 894, does absolutely nothing to counter antisemitism, and it only seeks to divide us and weaponize Jewish lives for political gains. It includes an overly broad definition of antisemitism that could deem any criticism of the Israeli government as antisemitic. This resolution was rushed to the floor without careful and considerate collaboration. That is why I could not vote for H.Res. 894. I invite my colleagues to join me in concrete actions to address antisemitism.

"Instead of engaging in partisan 'gotcha' games, we must work together to fully fund and implement the Biden Administration’s first ever, whole-of-government U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism. That is why I joined U.S. Representatives Nadler, Raskin, and Goldman in their resolution committing Congress to fully implementing the National Strategy. I will also continue working to increase funding for our federal agencies to enforce Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and other laws that protect our students from discrimination, harassment, and abuse based on their Jewish ancestry or ethnic characteristics. I will also continue my efforts to dramatically increase non-profit security grant funding to bolster security at our Jewish institutions and other high-risk non-profits.

"I will never stop fighting to end antisemitism and hatred in all forms. Together, we can build a safer and more accepting world for all."

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