Kathy E. Manning

Madam Speaker, today, I rise with grave concerns about the disturbing rise of anti-Semitism, both here at home and around the world.

Since Hamas' brutal attack on our democratic ally, Israel, on October 7, 2023, the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust, anti-Semitism has soared to dangerous new heights.

We have witnessed it online, in our schools, at hospitals, at professional associations, at art exhibits, and in communities across the country where Jewish individuals and institutions have been targeted with hate and violence.

This recent surge, while shocking, should not blind us to the fact that anti-Semitic sentiments have been festering and intensifying for years. We have seen this hatred manifest in alarming ways from the neo- Nazi chants on the streets of Charlottesville to the horrific attack at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, where 11 American Jews were murdered during Shabbat services.

Just this morning, a synagogue in Minneapolis was defaced with swastikas. These incidents are a stark reminder that the Jewish community is facing a relentless wave of anti-Semitic vitriol. We know anti-Semitism is not new. It is an ancient, shape-shifting conspiracy theory that has endured throughout history, adapting and taking on new forms across the centuries and blaming the Jews for whatever ills a society experiences.

It is a deep-seated prejudice that has caused unimaginable suffering, whether during the Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, the expulsion of Jews from England and France, or the violent pogroms in Russia, which brought my family here.

Of course, there is the Holocaust, a tragic and incomprehensible period in which 6 million Jews, including over 1 million children, were systematically murdered.

Despite the unspeakable horrors committed during the Holocaust, this hatred has not disappeared. It has adapted, it has spread, and it continues to poison societies to this very day.

History has shown us a painful truth. When we allow anti-Semitism and Jew hatred to spread unchecked, it becomes a profound threat, not only to the Jewish community, but to the very foundations of democracy itself.

Anti-Semitism is a poison that corrodes societies from within. It is not merely a threat to the Jewish people; it is a threat to all minority groups, to the vulnerable, to the values of tolerance, equality, and justice that underpin our democratic institutions.

However, unlike in the past when governments themselves promoted, sponsored, and weaponized anti-Semitism to fuel discrimination and violence against the Jews, that is not the case today. Today, our government is engaged in the fight against anti-Semitism.

Indeed, in the United States, we understand that we have the power, the responsibility, and the moral obligation to take a stand against anti-Semitism.

That is why in response to this rising tide of hatred, I have introduced the Countering Antisemitism Act, the most comprehensive anti-Semitism legislation in the history of our country.

This bipartisan, bicameral legislation with more than 60 cosponsors would codify portions of President Biden's national strategy to counter anti-Semitism. It would establish the first-ever national coordinator to counter anti-Semitism. It would also require law enforcement to ensure robust threat assessment reporting, enhance education about the history of anti-Semitism, and appoint a senior official within the Department of Education to counter anti-Semitism on college campuses and in K-12 schools.

Come January, we will have a new administration and a new Congress, yet this issue is not going away. That is why I am calling on my colleagues to join me in taking a firm stand against rising anti- Semitism. Each of us in this body has a responsibility to ensure that the horrors of the past are never repeated.

This Congress must send a powerful message that there is no room in this

country for anti-Semitism or any kind of hatred. I ask my colleagues to continue this work after my time in Congress comes to an end.

While we may never eradicate anti-Semitism, we must make it clear that anti-Semitism and all forms of discrimination are unacceptable and can never be normalized in this great country, the United States of America.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Ranking Member Scott for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Never Again Education Reauthorization Act, bipartisan legislation authored by my colleague Senator Jacky Rosen of Nevada.

As the co-lead of the House version of this bill with my colleague Congressman Buddy Carter, I am proud to support this legislation to continue vital resources for Holocaust education nationwide.

We have witnessed an alarming rise in anti-Semitism across our country in recent years. Since Hamas' brutal attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, this hatred has skyrocketed. According to the Anti- Defamation League, anti-Semitic incidents have increased by more than 200 percent following Hamas' attack.

We have seen the impact of the rise in anti-Semitism in our K-12 schools and on college campuses across the country. Unfortunately, too many young people know too little about the Holocaust and the long history of anti-Jewish hatred.

According to a 2020 Claims Conference survey, among millennial and Gen Z Americans, 63 percent do not know that 6 million Jews were murdered during the Holocaust, and 12 percent have never heard about or do not think they have ever heard the word ``Holocaust'' before.

Additionally, in its very first report to Congress under the Never Again Education Act, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum highlighted a striking and troubling finding: a significant lack of student knowledge about the Holocaust.

In the educator-centered surveys, both experienced and inexperienced secondary teachers reported that close to 40 percent of their students had no familiarity with the Holocaust.

In the fight against bigotry, ignorance, and intolerance, education is one of the most powerful tools we have.

Education about the Holocaust and the long history of anti-Semitism is vital because it can help teach students about how to be moral citizens. It allows them to learn valuable lessons about bearing witness, fostering tolerance and civic values, safeguarding democracy, and embracing the responsibility to confront hate wherever it appears, to speak out rather than remain silent bystanders.

That is why Congress passed the Never Again Education Act in 2020 and why we must work together on a bipartisan basis to ensure this critical work continues.

This bill will extend support for Holocaust education across the Nation. It will continue the United State Holocaust Memorial Museum's strong track record of providing resources.

Mr. Speaker, I support the Never Again Education Reauthorization Act, and I ask my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today with deep gratitude for the people of North Carolina's Sixth Congressional District for trusting me to represent them in the U.S. House of Representatives.

I have been proud to stand with House Democrats to pass historic legislation to rebuild our crumbling infrastructure, lower the cost of prescription drugs, strengthen domestic manufacturing, protect our future with the development of clean energy, address gun violence, and provide vital support for our veterans.

Thanks to these efforts, 80,000 households in my district have gained access to affordable high-speed internet, 39,000 residents are saving hundreds of dollars annually on their prescription drugs, and more than 4,700 veterans exposed to toxins during their service have filed claims to access benefits they have earned.

I have also been proud to secure nearly $60 million in Federal funding for community projects across the Sixth District. From improved transportation to new equipment for our police and firefighters, public safety initiatives, expanding education and job training, incentivizing economic development and public health, these projects are making a real difference.

I have also been proud to fight against the terrible loss of women's rights. Two years ago, the Supreme Court overturned 50 years of judicial precedent with its decision to strike down Roe v. Wade. This terrible ruling stripped millions of women of their right to obtain an abortion, has placed devastating hurdles in obtaining care for miscarriages, and has unleashed a wave of rightwing attacks on the full range of women's reproductive healthcare, including birth control.

That is why I introduced my Right to Contraception Act, to protect access to all FDA-approved birth control, which passed through the House in the last Congress. Sadly, my bill was blocked by Republicans, first in the Senate and again this term by Republicans in the House. It is shameful.

As policy co-chair of the Democratic Women's Caucus, I have been proud to fight for all women to make decisions about their own bodies and to have the ability to succeed in the workplace while still caring for their children and their family members.

In addition to fighting for North Carolinians' basic freedoms, I have worked to advance America's values and interests on the world stage. As the vice ranking member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, I have advocated for rebuilding and expanding strong relationships with our allies, including unwavering support for Ukraine and Israel in the face of unprecedented attacks.

After Hamas' brutal October 7 invasion of Israel, I have stood up against the alarming rise in anti-Semitism here at home and around the globe as the co-chair of the House Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism. This includes introducing my Countering Antisemitism Act, the most comprehensive legislation aimed at addressing the disturbing increase in anti-Semitism in our country's history.

This bill must be passed if we are serious about eradicating the scourge of the world's oldest hatred and protecting the fundamentals of our democracy. What begins with hatred against the Jews never ends there but spreads to other vulnerable groups.

As a member of the Education and the Workforce Committee, I have championed investments in our students and schools and worked to address the youth mental health crisis, introducing the Improving Mental Health and Wellness in Schools Act to expand resources for our students.

As chair of the New Democrat Coalition Workforce Development Task Force, I have fought to address ongoing labor shortages and prepare workers for the jobs of the future.

While I would love to continue this important work on behalf of my constituents, the blatantly gerrymandered congressional districts passed by the Republican-led North Carolina General Assembly make it impossible for me to do so. These maps are a deliberate distortion of the will of the people, designed with surgical precision to split communities of interest and deny real representation to North Carolinians. These maps force me to depart Congress, but I recognize that I am doing so at a time of great division within our country.

Now, more than ever, it is our duty in this Chamber to reaffirm the fundamental values that unite us as Americans: freedom, democracy, the rule of law, and the belief that all people are created equal.

While I will not be here to witness the next chapters of history written in this Chamber, I will keep using my voice to defend these values and trust in their enduring power to make our Union more perfect.

I will close by thanking my extraordinary staff members who work every day to get things done for the people we represent. I thank everyone who supported me in getting to Congress and all the colleagues with whom I have worked to develop friendships on both sides of the aisle.