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Politics

Marco Rubio, Tim Kaine Team Up Again to Fight Anti-Semitism

January 24, 2017 - 3:00pm

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., is once again teaming up with U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., who came up short as Hillary Clinton’s running mate on the Democratic presidential ticket, in pushing the “Combating European Anti-Semitism Act.” 

The proposal mirrors a bill from the  Bipartisan Taskforce for Combating Anti-Semitism in the U.S. House, including two congressional representatives from South Florida, to examine growing ani-Semitism in Europe that was brought out in October. Rubio and Kaine brought out the proposal in the middle of November, near the end of the 114th Congress. With a new Congress convening this month, Rubio and Kaine reintroduced the bill on Tuesday. 

“The recent harassment and violence occurring throughout Europe against Jews in schools and synagogues, as well as a number of governments amplifying anti-Semitic messages, are profoundly concerning,” said Rubio. “We must work with European governments to combat this evil global phenomenon. This bipartisan legislation will ensure the State Department has the information it needs to assess and understand the challenges so that we can combat European anti-Semitism in all its forms.”

“I continue to be alarmed by the steady increase in anti-Semitism in America and Europe. We must be vigilant in reporting any incidents of anti-Semitism to ensure the safety, security and inalienable rights of Jewish communities,” said Kaine. “This legislation will help the new Administration and Europeans work together to combat anti-Semitism and protect religious freedom for Jews and society at large.”

The senators brought in almost ten co-sponsors, including U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla.

On the House side, U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., the chairwoman of the U.S. House Middle East and North Africa Subcommittee, and U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Fla., the ranking Democrat on the subcommittee, are two of the co-chairs of the taskforce which formed early in 2015. Other co-chairs include Republican U.S. Reps. Kay Granger of Texas, Peter Roskam of Illinois and Chris Smith of New Jersey, and Democratic U.S. Reps.Eliot Engel, Steve Israel and Nita Lowey of New York.

Back in October, the eight House co-chairs explained in a joint statement why this bill was needed.

“It’s shocking that in the 21st century, anti-Semitism is gaining strength across Europe,” they said. “From taunts and threats on the street; to violent attacks in schools and synagogues; to governments amplifying anti-Semitic voices and messages, such as leaders in Hungary giving a prestigious state award to anti-Semitic writer Zsolt Bayer, many European Jews are being forced to reconsider whether there is still a future for them in their countries. This is unacceptable, and we will continue to call on leaders across Europe to speak out against this growing problem, strengthen partnerships with Jewish communities to help them develop safety standards, and foster cultures that respect diversity and inclusion of all minority groups, including Jews.

“Effectively confronting this problem requires a better understanding of its scope and depth,” they added. “This bill would require the administration to continue taking a hard look at anti-Semitism in Europe, providing a thorough assessment of trends and outlining what the United States and our partners are doing to meet this challenge.  That way, we’ll have the best information available as we work to root out this pernicious threat and ensure that the commitment ‘never again’ remains a reality."

With anti-Semitism on the rise across the globe, the taskforce formed in 2015 to serve as a forum for educating members on this distinct form of intolerance and to engage with the executive branch, foreign leaders, and civil society organizations for the sharing of best practices and cooperating on solutions to rebuff this disturbing trend. It also promotes Holocaust remembrance in concert with exploring innovative ways to teach tolerance and confront hate.

Comments

More pandering to AIPAC. These two are showing their disdain for the Constitution and America.

"Combating European Anti-Semitism Act".... C'mon "Marco Polio" and "Kripple Kaine" !!!... If you two morons spent as much time on AMERICA'S PROBLEMS instead of pandering to everyone else around the globe, you might even have a chance of retaining your "empty Senate seats". Right now, you're both "circling the drain"...

Isn'5 Kaine the one that walked out when the Israeli PM spoke to Congress? I am disappointed in Rubio, again. Is this going to be his next Chuck Schumer moment?

Neither one of these Senators gives a crap about anti-Semitism or they would have stopped Obama's war on Israel. This is just theater for these Presidential dreamers that need to go back into the closet.

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