Never Again Education Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. JOYCE of Ohio. Madam Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Stefanik and my colleagues on the other side of the aisle for bringing this important legislation to the floor.

Madam Speaker, I rise today on the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz in support of H.R. 943, the Never Again Education Act.

I am proud to be a cosponsor of this bipartisan bill, to give schools and teachers across the United States the resources needed to incorporate Holocaust education into their classrooms and teach our children the consequences of intolerance and hate.

Sadly, we have seen a rise in anti-Semitism across the country, fueling horrific violence, including the shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, and recent attacks over the holidays in New York.

Last year in our home State of Ohio, a 20-year old was arrested before he could carry out a violent attack against the Youngstown Jewish Community Center. I stand with Ohio's Jewish community against all anti-Semitic threats and remain committed to ensuring that all Americans can practice their religion peacefully, without fear.

The freedom of religion is a fundamental right provided to all American citizens in the Constitution. Any threat to this right is an attack on one of our core pillars of our democracy and must be confronted. But the fact of the matter is that responding to anti- Semitism is not enough.

We must work to prevent it from ever taking root in the first place. That is why I cosponsored the Never Again Education Act. As the number of living Holocaust survivors decline, studies show that the Holocaust is fading from public memory.

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Mr. JOYCE of Ohio. Madam Speaker, unfortunately, the same cannot be said of anti-Semitism.

By educating our children on one of the cruelest times in human history, we can help eradicate the hatred that fuels these terrible acts. It is more important than ever before that we reaffirm our commitment to defeating anti-Semitism in all of its forms and ensure the stories of Holocaust survivors live on.

My father is one of the brave American soldiers who risked his life to defeat the scourge of Nazism during World War II, and I am proud to continue his fight against anti-Semitism here in Congress.

I strongly encourage all of my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 943, the Never Again Education Act.

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