The House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a bill on Dec. 17 to reauthorize legislation that promotes Holocaust education, sending it to President Joe Biden for his signature amid a rise in anti-Semitism.
The Never Again Education Reauthorization Act of 2023 passed 402-12.
It passed the Senate in July by unanimous consent, meaning no senator objected to it, and therefore, no recorded vote was necessary.
The bill, introduced by Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), reauthorizes the act, which Congress passed and then-President Donald Trump enacted in 2020. That bill expanded education programming by the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.
It also appropriated $2 million annually over a four-year program since the 2021 fiscal year for the museum to carry out the initiative, which assists educators in teaching about the atrocity that took the lives of 6 million Jews and 5 million others.
The reauthorization bill appropriates the same amount through the 2030 fiscal year.
This legislation comes amid the rise in anti-Semitism since the Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, terror attack against Israel—the largest single-day massacre of Jews since the Holocaust. More than 1,200 people were killed and hundreds of others were taken hostage into Gaza by Hamas.
Israel has since launched a war against Hamas in Gaza and, until last month, engaged in military actions against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Between Oct. 7, 2023, and Jan. 7, 2024, there were 3,291 reported incidents of anti-Semitism in the United States, according to the Anti-Defamation League. This included 500 such instances on college campuses.
During the 2024-2025 academic year, there have been 922 anti-Semitic incidents on college and university campuses, according to Hillel International.
Anti-Semitic hate crimes increased by 63 percent between 2022 and 2023, according to the FBI. Jews are the leading target of religious-based hate crimes annually in the United States, according to the bureau.
Ahead of the floor vote, members on both sides of the aisle talked about the importance of reauthorizing the Never Again Education Act.
“Oct. 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,” said Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.), the chairwoman of the House Education and Workforce Committee.
“Anti-Semitism is not a new problem and we have seen such a disturbing rise in anti-Semitism that must be addressed for the safety and dignity of all Americans,” said Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.), the committee’s ranking member.
