Rick Scott, Jacky Rosen Promote Bill To Recognize Jewish American Heritage Month After DC Killings

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During remarks on the Senate floor Thursday, Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) and Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) introduced a bill to recognize May as Jewish American Heritage Month after the killing of two Israeli embassy workers in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday.

Transcript

00:00The gentleman from Florida.

00:02Madam President, I stand today to condemn the anti-Semitic and hate-fueled murders of

00:07Yaron Lechinsky and Sarah Milgram that occurred last night at the hands of a Hamas sympathizer.

00:14This was a sickening, violent, and anti-Semitic attack in our nation's capital.

00:20These two young professionals were targeted and murdered because they represented Israel

00:25and the Jewish people, with their murderer chanting, free Palestine, after killing them

00:30in cold blood.

00:32These were innocent, out for a night together at the Capitol Jewish Museum here in D.C.,

00:38just like members of our own staff do each and every week.

00:41This anti-Semitism and hate for Israel and the Jewish people is disgusting, unacceptable,

00:48and must be condemned on every level.

00:50It's despicable and it's dangerous.

00:53We've seen a rise in anti-Semitism and anti-Israel hate since the October 7, 2023 attacks.

00:59We've seen Hamas sympathizers take over college campuses and instill fear into Jewish students.

01:05We've seen violent protests on our streets and now in our nation's capital.

01:10Jewish Americans are afraid to walk outside or live their daily lives.

01:14For nearly 600 days now, Israel has defended itself against Iran-backed Hamas terrorists

01:19who want to destroy Israel and destroy the Jewish people.

01:23These terrorists murdered babies and women in cold blood, take and murder innocent people,

01:28and brag about their acts with no remorse.

01:31They took innocent people, including Americans, hostage and tortured them.

01:35They still hold the bodies of American hostages to deprive their families of closure.

01:41Israel is the United States' greatest Democratic ally in the Middle East.

01:44We cannot abandon our ally.

01:47Thankfully, we have a president who is an ally of Israel and is working to fight anti-Semitism

01:51in the United States.

01:52President Trump is pushing back on colleges and universities that allow hateful anti-Semitic

01:58actions on campus that threaten the safety of Jewish students.

02:01He's appointed the most pro-Israel cabinet ever assembled and is committed to defending

02:06Israel, combating terrorism, and protecting Jewish Americans.

02:09Today, I rise and condemn last night's heinous anti-Semitic attack on these innocent people.

02:15I condemn this hateful rhetoric against Israel and against the Jewish people, who deserve

02:20the right to live freely and without fear in the United States and around the world.

02:24The United States must always stand with Israel and the Jewish people.

02:28Today, we join together to remember the innocent lives taken in an act of hate and pay tribute

02:34to their lives and the contributions of the Jewish people to our nation.

02:37The fight against anti-Semitism is a bipartisan one.

02:40I am grateful for my colleague, Jackie Rosen, for working with me to draft a resolution that

02:45draws attention to anti-Semitism in America and declaring May Jewish American Heritage Month.

02:51I yield to my colleague from Nevada, Senator Rosen.

02:55I want to begin by thanking my colleague from Florida for his bipartisanship and his

03:07partnership in moving to pass this bipartisan resolution to recognize American Jewish Heritage

03:13Month by unanimous consent.

03:15I also want to take a moment to speak about the horrific murders that took place last night.

03:21Like so many other Jews in America and around the world, I woke up this morning heartbroken

03:26by the news of yet another unspeakable act of anti-Semitic violence that occurred late last night.

03:34This time, this time in our nation's capital, less than one mile from where I'm standing

03:39this very moment.

03:41The shooting occurred outside of the Jewish Capital Museum, where the American Jewish Committee

03:45was holding a large event.

03:47And the shooter went there specifically to target and kill Jews and people who he perceived

03:54to be Jewish.

03:56This anti-Semitism, plain and simple, there's no justification in the world for carrying out

04:03or contoning this violent and vile hate crime.

04:09It's pure anti-Semitic violence.

04:12My heart is shattered for the two Israeli embassy workers who were killed, Yaran and Sarah, taken

04:18from us far, far too soon.

04:22Both committed to public service, social action, peace, the betterment of the world.

04:27They were a young couple in love.

04:29I've read reports that Yaran was planning to propose to Sarah next week in Israel.

04:36They were cruelly taken from us far too soon at the beginning of their lives.

04:41May their memory be for a blessing, and may their killer be brought to swift justice.

04:50It's a tragedy that these innocent lives cut short by hate.

04:53And it continues to be a tragedy that these incidents continue to occur in the United States

04:58and all over the world.

05:01Over the last few years alone, we've seen anti-Semitic hate, extremist violence, they've done nothing

05:07but increase across this country.

05:10All over America, Jewish people, we've been threatened, beaten, verbally accosted, we've

05:14been killed just because of our faith, just because of who they are, because of who we are.

05:20We've seen horrendous anti-Semitic incidents and attacks on Jewish communities, at schools

05:26and on college campuses, on Jewish-owned places of business, and on synagogues and places of worship.

05:36And incidents of anti-Semitism in the U.S. and globally have risen dramatically since Hamas's

05:41brutal terrorist attack on October 7th.

05:45All of it, all of it, is wrong.

05:50It has no place in our country, no place in our society, no place in the world.

05:55Those who commit these egregious acts, they want to send a message.

06:00They want to terrorize Jews.

06:01They want to scare Jews.

06:02They want to intimidate us, and it's vital that we all stand up together and send a clear

06:08and forceful message, and the message is this.

06:12We will not be afraid.

06:14We will not be afraid.

06:18We cannot be silent.

06:20There's desperate need to confront dangerous and growing anti-Semitism in our country, around

06:24the world to show that bigoted efforts to intimidate us will not work.

06:31We cannot be afraid.

06:33We cannot be silent.

06:35And that's why I'm here on the Senate for today.

06:38By passing this resolution and recognizing Jewish American Heritage Month, we are not just

06:43celebrating the numerous accomplishments and contributions that Jews have made to our country.

06:49We are sending the message back, a message that Jewish people have a place in America,

06:55that this is our home as well, that our lives, well, that they have value and they have meaning,

07:02just like anyone else, and that our country stands with it.

07:06So I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to allow this resolution to pass, and I

07:12want to thank Senator Scott of Florida for his partnership and the effort to counter anti-Semitism

07:17and hate everywhere.

07:18So, Madam President, I ask unanimous consent.

07:22The Senate proceed to the consideration of SRES 246, submitted earlier today.

07:29The Clerk will report.

07:30The Clerk will report.

07:31Senate Resolution 246, recognizing the significance of Jewish American Heritage Month and calling

07:37on elected officials and civil society leaders to counter anti-Semitism.

07:45Without objection, the Senate will proceed to the measure.

07:48I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and

07:54that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening

07:58action or debate.

08:01Without objection.

08:04Thank you, Madam President.

08:06Again, thank you to all my colleagues for passing this important resolution unanimously today.

08:11I yield the floor.

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