Democrats took to the House floor Tuesday to blast the White House for not mentioning Jewish people in its statement recognizing International Holocaust Remembrance Day Jan. 27.
“We need to restate the truth as clearly as we can — the White House was wrong on this. … as the late Nobel Peace Prize recipient Elie Wiesel said while receiving the Congressional Gold Medal from President Reagan: ‘It is true that not all the victims were Jews. But all the Jews were victims,'” said House Democratic Conference Chairman Joe Crowley, D-N.Y.
Led by Crowley, Democrats tried to force the House to vote on the resolution he introduced last week calling on the White House “to affirm that the Nazi regime targeted the Jewish people in its perpetration of the Holocaust.” More than 100 House Democrats co-sponsored the measure.
During debate on the rule for the House to consider three resolutions disapproving of three Obama administration rules concerning the Bureau of Land Management and Education Department, Crowley tried to defeat a procedural vote as a way to force Republicans to consider his resolution. But Republicans rejected the Democrats’ plan in a party-line vote.
Noting a global rise in anti-Semitism, the resolution would reaffirm that Congress believes the Nazis targeted Jews for the Holocaust.
“It is beyond belief that President Trump would allow a Holocaust remembrance statement to go out under the banner of his White House that did not discuss the genocide perpetrated against the Jewish people,” Crowley stated. “The Trump administration doubled down and defended its statement, despite many pointing out the consequences of such inaccuracies.”
Crowley was referring to a report that the White House purposely did not mention Jews, an allegation the Trump administration denies.
“I hope my Republican colleagues will join the more than 100 Democratic members in setting the record straight: The Holocaust targeted Jewish people and the Trump administration must acknowledge this fact.”
