Hi John,
This week, a brave group of bipartisan lawmakers led by Rep. Mike Lawler gave the House of Representatives a chance to do some clear-cut good: vote for a piece of legislation that would more forcefully combat the threat of antisemitism.
At a time where Jewish Americans on and off college campuses are being threatened by antisemites who also claim Israel does not have a right to exist, it's a critical moment for Washington to send a message.
Well, far too many members of Congress didn’t seem to get the memo.
In all, 91 representatives opposed the Antisemitism Awareness Act – nowhere close to the 320 who voted in favor but a dispiriting number all the same. Some of the members who voted no said they did so out of concerns over free speech, and No Labels will always stand for free speech and expression.
But it’s hard to escape the conclusion that at least some of these 91 members voted against the Antisemitism Awareness Act for different, less noble reasons.
Let’s compare that to another bill that gave Congress the chance to use its moral authority for good. We all remember the horrific scenes in Charlottesville, Virginia in 2017, where white nationalists carrying torches marched in formation while chanting “Jews will not replace us.”
Despite all the partisanship in our politics at the time, we could at least agree that clear-cut evil was wrong. In turn, Congress voted unanimously to denounce the antisemitism on the grounds of the University of Virginia.
Not a single person on the left or right could find reason to oppose such a commonsense statement of moral clarity.
Today’s a different story, apparently.
We should all be scratching our heads at how dozens of members of Congress could look at a chance to condemn and combat antisemitism and simply say, “I’ll pass.”
These are members who have previously voted to condemn white nationalism, to condemn anti-Asian hate, to condemn Islamophobia. But when it comes to standing up for Jewish Americans?
Silence.
In the meantime, the commonsense majority is standing firm with our Jewish community and with our ally Israel as they go through these tough times.
In times like these, I’m reminded of the conversations I had with so many Israelis when I visited their country, of their optimism for a future free from discrimination against any race or creed.
We won’t give in to the hate.
Margaret White,
No Labels