NEVER AGAIN EDUCATION REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2023

On 2024-12-17, Representative Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (D-VA-3) delivered a floor speech titled "NEVER AGAIN EDUCATION REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2023" in the House. The speech addressed taxes and also covered foreign policy, Israel. It referenced legislation: S3448.

NEVER AGAIN EDUCATION REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2023

Congressional Record, Volume 170 Issue 187 (Tuesday, December 17, 2024) [Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 187 (Tuesday, December 17, 2024)] [House] [Pages H7259-H7261] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] NEVER AGAIN EDUCATION REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2023 Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 3448) to reauthorize the Director of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum to support Holocaust education programs, and for other purposes. The Clerk read the title of the bill. The text of the bill is as follows: S. 3448 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Never Again Education Reauthorization Act of 2023''. SEC. 2. REAUTHORIZATION. Section 4(a) of the Never Again Education Act (Public Law 116-141; 134 Stat. 638) is amended by striking ``each of the 4 succeeding fiscal years'' and inserting ``each succeeding fiscal year through fiscal year 2030''. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx) and the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott) each will control 20 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from North Carolina. General Leave Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to insert extraneous material on S. 3448. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentlewoman from North Carolina? There was no objection. Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 3448, the Never Again Education Reauthorization Act of 2023. October 7 was the worst day in Jewish history since the Holocaust. S. 3448 will ensure that the lessons of history are not forgotten in these troubling times. The bipartisan bill promotes tolerance by extending the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum's mission to disseminate Holocaust education resources through fiscal year 2030. In May 2020, Congress passed with overwhelming bipartisan support and President Trump signed into law the Never Again Education Act. This law authorizes $2 million for the Holocaust museum to create and disseminate educational resources on how and why the Holocaust happened. This year, the world celebrated the Allied victory of Normandy 80 years ago. We were reminded of what our heroes fought for and against. Unfortunately, we have seen an increase in anti-Semitic and other bias- based offenses on college campuses, demonstrating that the hate and bigotry that motivated the Nazis is still present in our society. {time} 1500 Mr. Speaker, expanding the presence of Holocaust education programs in schools will increase the knowledge of basic facts related to the Holocaust, and that is important. More importantly, it will give schools optional resources to help provide students a greater understanding of the ancient scourge of anti-Semitism and provide them intellectual and moral tools to fight against it and to prevent genocide, hate, and bigotry against any group of people. I thank Representative Buddy Carter for authoring this bill in the House. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 3448, Never Again Education Reauthorization Act of 2023. This bill reauthorizes the bipartisan Never Again Education Act through 2030 to continue providing educators with resources and training to teach important lessons pertaining to the Holocaust. While Congress should not dictate school curriculum, this legislation maintains the balance of promoting important education while allowing school districts to govern themselves. The bill reauthorizes the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum to support Holocaust education programs across the country that educators can, if they desire, access to better serve their classrooms. Anti-Semitism is not a new problem, and we have seen such a disturbing rise in anti-Semitism that it must be addressed for the safety and dignity of all Americans. Congress must continue to take steps to ensure that Americans are educated on the dangers of anti- Semitism and the lessons of the Holocaust. Passing this bill is critically important to combating anti-Semitism and ensuring schools maintain safe, productive spaces for all students. As the ranking member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, I have worked with the majority to ensure that the curricula introduced are appropriate for students according to their grade level and following the guidance from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time. Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Carter), the sponsor of the House companion to the bill we are considering. Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. I thank her for her leadership on this committee. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of S. 3448, the Never Again Education Reauthorization Act. I am proud to lead this important bipartisan bill with Senator Rosen, and I thank her for her work. The bill before us today reauthorizes the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum's program to disseminate Holocaust education resources through fiscal year 2030. Since the horrific attacks of October 7, 2023, pervasive discrimination and bias against Jews has been on full display. The Anti-Defamation League reports more than 10,000 incidents of anti- Semitism in the United States between October 2023 and September of 2024. This is hateful, disgusting, and despicable. Nowhere is this more visible that on college and university campuses where there was a staggering 321 percent increase of anti-Semitic incidents in just 1 year. During that time, the American people watched anti-Semitic mobs rule over so-called elite universities including Columbia University, Harvard University, George Washington University, and many, many more. Not only were these demonstrations morally reprehensible but they also incited violence against Jewish students and staff. Yet, as these mobs raged on campuses, the American people witnessed three Ivy League presidents refuse to unequivocally state that calling for the genocide of Jews would violate their institutions' code of conduct. Think about the example that sets for today's college students. Three adults in a position of power believe calling for the genocide of Jews would be in line with their school policies. Jewish students deserve better. We must speak out against hate and educate our students on the history of anti-Semitism to ensure that the horrors of the Holocaust are never repeated. You have heard the saying: Those who don't know their history are bound to repeat it. We must set a better example than that for our children, and the recent pro-Hamas demonstrations happening at colleges and high schools across the Nation are proof of that. No one should be discriminated against because of their faith or their culture or their heritage. When we say never again, we mean it. [[Page H7260]] Let me be clear. October 7 was the worst day in Jewish history since the Holocaust, and this bill will ensure that we learn from history instead of hiding from it. That is why I applaud Senator Rosen for working with me on this bipartisan bill, and I urge my colleagues to support it. Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Manning), a distinguished Member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce. Ms. MANNING. Mr. Speaker, I thank Ranking Member Scott for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Never Again Education Reauthorization Act, bipartisan legislation authored by my colleague Senator Jacky Rosen of Nevada. As the co-lead of the House version of this bill with my colleague Congressman Buddy Carter, I am proud to support this legislation to continue vital resources for Holocaust education nationwide. We have witnessed an alarming rise in anti-Semitism across our country in recent years. Since Hamas' brutal attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, this hatred has skyrocketed. According to the Anti- Defamation League, anti-Semitic incidents have increased by more than 200 percent following Hamas' attack. We have seen the impact of the rise in anti-Semitism in our K-12 schools and on college campuses across the country. Unfortunately, too many young people know too little about the Holocaust and the long history of anti-Jewish hatred. According to a 2020 Claims Conference survey, among millennial and Gen Z Americans, 63 percent do not know that 6 million Jews were murdered during the Holocaust, and 12 percent have never heard about or do not think they have ever heard the word ``Holocaust'' before. Additionally, in its very first report to Congress under the Never Again Education Act, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum highlighted a striking and troubling finding: a significant lack of student knowledge about the Holocaust. In the educator-centered surveys, both experienced and inexperienced secondary teachers reported that close to 40 percent of their students had no familiarity with the Holocaust. In the fight against bigotry, ignorance, and intolerance, education is one of the most powerful tools we have. Education about the Holocaust and the long history of anti-Semitism is vital because it can help teach students about how to be moral citizens. It allows them to learn valuable lessons about bearing witness, fostering tolerance and civic values, safeguarding democracy, and embracing the responsibility to confront hate wherever it appears, to speak out rather than remain si

Referenced legislation: S3448, S3448