Majority Leader Schumer Floor Remarks On The Senate Standing United Against Antisemitism

Washington, D.C. –  Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor regarding the need to combat antisemitism. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks, which can also be viewed here:

First, let me thank Senator Rosen. She has been a valiant, strong, and unrelenting fighter against antisemitism, not just today in this wonderful resolution but every day, and we thank her for her leadership, her tremendous and needed leadership, on this issue.

I want to thank Senator Lankford as well for joining Senator Rosen in crafting this bipartisan resolution. Because, as we all know, antisemitism is not a partisan issue, so I very much appreciate the way they work together across the aisle to bring this resolution forward.

And, Madam President, it's essential we come together at this moment. Over the past few years, America has once again seen the pernicious, poisonous, and dangerous rise of hate crimes. In recent weeks in particular, antisemitism, the oldest hatred, has dramatically spiked. It, too, just like every other hate crime, is pernicious, poisonous, and dangerous. We're all horrified by the anti-Semitic attacks in New York, around the country, and around the globe.

So I join my colleagues tonight to say unequivocally that this hatred must be called out, confronted, and stopped, and the Senator from Nevada has an excellent series of proposals to help make that happen.

Antisemitism must be combated wherever and whenever it rears its ugly head. It’s vile, it's reprehensible, and its counter to everything that America stands for: freedom of religion, equality, respect for the dignity of every person.

For too long, too long, we have seen it. And yet in the past, America has always been a refuge for the oppressed, a land of promise, opportunity, and tolerance for people from all corners of the world who came here in search of a better life. It was true for my family and many others, and hopefully it continues to be.

But that noble purpose has too often been marred by periods of isolationism, xenophobia, racial, religious intolerance. We live in a time where we must actively work to rekindle the light of tolerance that has kept antisemitism at bay here in the United States and around the globe.

As Majority Leader - the first Jewish American to hold that honor - I will work with any and all of my colleagues to face down antisemitism and every other form of racial or religious discrimination.

I strongly urge the Senate to stand united against antisemitism, and I am very grateful that we passed this resolution unanimously.

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