U.S. Senate Unanimously Passes Maloney Holocaust Education Bill

The U.S. Senate passed the Never Again Education Act (H.R. 943), which supports Holocaust education across the country, by unanimous consent. The bill passed in the House of Representatives by an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote of 393-5 on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, January 27. The bill, which was sponsored by Representative Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY-12) and was introduced at the end of January, 2019, bolsters the already expansive educational resources at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM).

“Combatting hate and intolerance must always be a priority and I’m glad that the Senate agrees. Passing this bill by unanimous consent today sends a strong message that the Congress is overwhelmingly united in combatting antisemitism and hate through education. Children are not born with hate in their hearts, it is up to us to make sure they never learn it,” said Rep. Maloney. “To do that, we must make sure our educators have the tools they need to teach about the Holocaust, an incredibly difficult subject to teach and for students to understand. I want to thank Senators Rosen, Cramer, Rubio, and Blumenthal for moving this bill so quickly through the Senate and their partnership in this effort.”

“The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum educates people about how and why the Holocaust happened and why its lessons about the dangers of antisemitism and unchecked hatred remain critical today, especially as the Holocaust is receding in time,” said Diane Saltzman, the Museum’s Director of Constituency Engagement. “We appreciate Congress’s continued commitment to Holocaust education and remembrance.”

H.R. 943 expands the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum’s education programming to teachers across the country, requiring the Museum to develop and disseminate resources to improve education, awareness and understanding of the Holocaust. Funding through this bill, which authorizes $10 million dollars over 5 years, may also be used to support teachers in bringing the lessons of the Holocaust into their classrooms.