Never Again Education Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. BACON. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the Never Again Education Act.

Madam Speaker, I recognize Congresswoman Maloney for her decades of leadership on this issue, as well as Congresswoman Stefanik, who served as co-leads on this effort.

Today, we have 300 of our Members cosponsoring this bill, compared to only 53 Members in the last Congress, and it took the leadership of many to make today a reality.

Madam Speaker, I also thank the Nebraska State Education Association for raising awareness of this bill to their counterparts at the National Education Association. We appreciate their efforts to secure the NEA endorsement.

As we remember the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz and other Nazi death camps, we must pledge to each other and ourselves to never forget the victims and the lessons learned.

This cannot be a partisan issue. We must remember that the fight against anti-Semitism is an American endeavor and does not belong to Republicans or Democrats. Stamping out this evil is an endeavor for all humanity. If we allow it to become the agenda of just a single party or to be used as a partisan weapon, then we will provide the fertile ground for the growth of this evil.

Anti-Semitism and all of its manifestations are plain evil, and the Holocaust illustrates the ultimate and horrible endpoint of where hatred leads.

As the firsthand witnesses of these crimes pass away, it becomes incumbent upon us to ensure that they are never forgotten and that their pain and suffering never become just a footnote in history.

In addition, the eyes of future generations are upon us, and this legislation is needed now more than ever. According to recent studies, nearly half of our millennials are unaware that 6 million Jews were murdered, and two-thirds of American millennials surveyed were not familiar with Auschwitz. Another statistic shows that over 60 percent of religious hate crimes are anti-Semitic in nature.

Our schools need the resources that this bill provides, and education is one of our strongest tools against anti-Semitism. This bill is especially important considering the increase in anti-Semitic attacks both in this country and around the world.

Even in my home State, we have seen this evil. Most recently, the South Street Temple in Lincoln, Nebraska, was the target of anti- Semitic vandalism, and last November, the Temple Israel Cemetery in Omaha was desecrated. The cemetery attack also happened near Veterans Day, which, unfortunately, provided a dark reminder that the cause of defending freedom and combating hate never rests and that this is a cause that we all share the responsibility for, to fight.

When liberating the camps, General Eisenhower brought journalists, government officials, and military personnel to the camps, as he believed ``the evidence should be immediately placed before the American and British publics in a fashion that would leave no room for cynical doubt.''

Today, we continue that legacy. Our work today is a continuation of what General Eisenhower wanted. Today, we continue that legacy to ensure that this will never happen again, and we do this partially through education.

We never forget so that ``never again'' will be the reality.

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