Lankford, Co-Chairs of the Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism Issue Statement on Fourth Anniversary of Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Representatives Kathy Manning (D-NC) and Chris Smith (R-NJ), co-chairs of the Senate and House Bipartisan Task Forces for Combating Antisemitism, released the following statement on the fourth anniversary of the 2018 shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh:

“Today, we remember and honor the legacy of the eleven people who were murdered four years ago while worshipping at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, the deadliest antisemitic attack in the history of the United States,” said the co-chairs. “Unfortunately, this attack was not an isolated incident—Jewish Americans are increasingly the targets of antisemitic harassment, vandalism, and violent assaults. At a time of heightened fear and anxiety for the Jewish community— when celebrities and emboldened extremist groups are increasingly spewing virulent antisemitism openly—let us recommit today to rejecting and condemning antisemitism in all its forms so that no other community has to ever experience a similar tragedy.”

In 2019, Lankford and Rosen launched the Senate Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism. The Task Force now has nearly 50 Senators, with an equal number of Democrats and Republicans. The FBI found that antisemitic hate crimes rose by six percent in 2020, representing the highest total in 12 years and constituting 60 percent of all incidents based on religion.

In addition to the co-chairs, Lankford and Rosen, the Task Force includes 56 Senators, with an equal number of Republicans and Democrats: Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Roy Blunt (R-MO), Cory Booker (D-NJ), John Boozman (R-AR), Mike Braun (R-IN), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Tom Carper (D-DE), Bob Casey (D-PA), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Susan Collins (R-ME), Chris Coons (D-DE), John Cornyn (R-TX), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Steve Daines (R-MT), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Rob Portman (R-OH), Jim Risch (R-ID), Mitt Romney (R-UT),  Mike Rounds (R-SD), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Tim Scott (R-SC), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Jon Tester (D-MT), John Thune (R-SD), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Mark Warner (D-VA), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Roger Wicker (R-MS), and Todd Young (R-IN).

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