of anti-semitism. i understand he was preparing for the white house correspondents dinner. but perhaps he could've taken a moment away from cracking his jokes to address the fact there are jewish students right now in the united states of america who are afraid to walk across their campuses. i am also waiting to hear the attorney general's secretary at the number of my republican colleagues regarding the administration's plan for enforcing federal law and the anti-semitism and protests on college campuses. no, i do not feel safe on campus. i've been called names. i have been spit at. it's a very visceral feeling in me when someone tells me to go back to the gas chambers.

i repeat that olivia feldman, a student has said. mr. president is time to take action. to close this disgraceful chapter and to ensure there are no more stories like olivia's. mr. president i yield the floor. cooks think it mr. perez i rise today to speak against anti-semitism and to speak about the efforts we are undertaking here in the senate to combat anti-semitism. we see it throughout our society. including on college campuses. my friend from south carolina, senator scott and i have worked on legislation. not offered this year but many years on this issue. anti-semitism awareness ask him trying to get that passed into law. anti-semitism across the country on college campuses has made me

the house and senate in both parties increasingly concerned regarding the safety of jewish students on campus. students of course have the right to peacefully protest but when it crosses a line either into violence, or discrimination then we have an obligation to step in and stop that conduct. i stood on this floor late 2022 to speak about the subject. anti-semitism in america. the exponential rise we were seeing in the years leading up to that point in time in 2022. i spoke in particular about the hateful anti-semitism that led to the murder of 11 pits and burgers at the tree of life synagogue.

at that time we were at calculag the numbers as being a child for 2020, 2021 and going into 2022. after october the seventh when a terrorist cash rent a band of terrorists of hamas went into israel and killed 1200 innocent civilians. since thate date the rise in anti-semitism across the country and across the world has increased even beyond what we thought were exponentially high numbers in 2022. anti-defamation league attract the highest number of anti-semitic incidents ever in in 2023 paid these numbers have undoubtably continued to rise with the ongoing campus protests. there were over 8800 instances including 2177 cases of vandalism and wondered 61

assaults. we cannot tolerate any form of anti-semitism abroad or here at home in america on college campuses in the workplace a and our schools wherever we find it. we have to take action against it. to address the 140% increase imagine that. 140% increase in tight somatic incidents compared to last year i have introduced several bills aiming to strengthen civil rights enforcement against anti-semitism. anti- semitism awareness act that made reference to her that work with senator scott is a group of bipartisan senators would mandate the department of education consider a widely accepted definition of anti-semitism carrying out its enforcement actions. the department of education is an office o of civil rights that office is empowered to conduct these investigations we have to

provide more funding toio do the investigations they are badly, badly underfunded right now. but senator scott and i have worked together on this anti-semitism legislation for almost a decade now. since 2016. much ofs the anger colleagues in the house that passed the anti- semitism awareness act of 2023 fit with the votes 328 -- 91. when fighting in the house bill is different from my and senator scottsville the bite administration is countering and tight summit to some strategy. the use of other anti-semitism definitions impairs enforcement. taking this finding is important because other definitions of anti-semitism also help to address this terrible problem. but what is even more important is passing this bill today with the unique opportunity that we

have it. in the senate we must take upt and pass this bill and pass it today the hotline alt sent offices went out but objections on both sides of the aisle prevented us from bringing our bill to the floor but we must bring it to the floor and pass it today but that's not all that is needed to counter discrimination and harassment on college campuses. the office as i mentioned earlier, the office responsible for enforcing antidiscrimination laws the department of education office of civil rights and i'll say it again, badly, severely underfunded. that is why i am leaning to showing up for students act which would double the funding for the office of civil rights to investigate incidents of harassment and discrimination including anti-semitism on college campuses nationwide. is seen

more than 10003 100% increase in compliance shared ancestry including acts and schools across the states request essays staggering no sign of abating. freed from anti-semitism. free from discrimination all, all forms of hate. smwe must pass the anti-semitism awareness act today to ensure the jewish students on campuses or anywhere else in our society are protected against discrimination. ♪ since 1979 and partnership with the cable industry c-span has provided complete coverage of the halls of congress. from the house and senate floors to congressional hearings, party briefings and committee

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