Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman and ranking member. I am proud to be a cosponsor of Mr. Smith's very important bill, H.R. 1911, the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism Act. As a founding member and co-chair of the Task Force for Combating Anti-Semitism, I have been urging the administration to make the Special Envoy position at the State Department a priority and to fill that position as soon as possible. In recent years, the spike in anti-Jewish violence and harassment has been alarming, and not just in Europe, sadly, but across the globe, and even here in our own wonderful Nation. {time} 1800 It is also worrisome that we are seeing anti-Semitism couched and disguised in anti-Israel political rhetoric. This bill ensures that we have someone at the Ambassador level giving these issues full attention, and with access to the highest-level officials in other nations. I am also proud to have my amendment included in the bill, which adds a deadline for the appointment, 90 days from enactment of this act, and 120 days from when this position becomes vacant. Even though current law states that there shall be an appointment, there is no clarity on whether an administration has a finite time to make one. So this is why it is important that we add a deadline to fill this Special Envoy position as quickly as possible. I encourage all my colleagues to support Mr. Smith's important bill, H.R. 1911; and I thank the chairman and the ranking member for the time.”