WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Representative Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) issued the following statement after voting in favor of H.R. 6090, the Antisemitism Awareness Act.

“Since October 7, the House has taken more than 30 votes on the issue of antisemitism or similar. My voting record has been clear regarding my strong opposition to antisemitism, and today was no different as I voted yes on yet another bill related to this issue, the Antisemitism Awareness Act. 

As I’ve said regarding the many votes prior to this one, however, it’s increasingly clear that these votes have become political theater — and I’m not the only one. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), a member of the Freedom Caucus and the Rules Committee whom I rarely agree with, finally said what we’ve known all along: these votes are meant to divide us and the communities we represent, nothing more. Watch his remarks here.

Let me be clear up front, antisemitism is despicable and hateful. Our White House and government leaders, regardless of party, have made that evident and I believe they will continue to do so with every tool at their disposal. That’s why these legislative skirmishes accomplish nothing — they are meant to be deceptive and divisive by design. Let’s also be clear: these votes have no chance of becoming law because they are deeply flawed legislative red herrings and a far cry from the simplistic titles they possess.

Decrying antisemitism does not mean you can’t be critical of Israel as a government or an ally. Similarly, you can denounce Islamophobia, seek a place and peace for the Palestinian people and Israelis, while not supporting the terrorist organization Hamas. 

Rather than continuing to take these spurious votes, we should focus our energies on encouraging the negotiation of a durable peace in the Middle East and around the world and getting aid to the people who need it.

And when we are voting, we should be doing so bipartisanly on the many pressing issues we face. We came together last week to secure vital aid for our allies in Ukraine, Israel, and the Indo-Pacific with votes from both sides of the aisle. I’m glad we did so, but the truth is this has been one of the most unproductive congressional sessions in history. To date, we have signed only 51 bills into law. This in comparison to the average 391 bills signed into law per term.

We still need to secure our own border, pass the Farm Bill, and reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration, among other issues. In short, there’s real work to be done. It’s time to do our jobs.   

We all agree antisemitism is vile and should not be tolerated. We also should just as strongly agree that Islamophobia is also vile and has no place in our society or world. The same can be said for all forms of hatred and discrimination. As Americans who care about our collective humanity, we must look past these votes and do the work in each of our respective communities to bridge the divides others seek to exploit,” said Houlahan.

Houlahan is an Air Force veteran, an engineer, a serial entrepreneur, an educator, and a nonprofit leader. She represents Pennsylvania’s 6th Congressional District, which encompasses Chester County and southern Berks County. She serves on the House Armed Services Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. She is the recipient of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Abraham Lincoln Leadership for America Award which “recognizes members who demonstrate the bipartisan leadership and constructive governing necessary to move our country forward” and the Congressional Management Foundation’s 2022 Democracy Award for best Constituent Services in Congress.

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