Press Releases

Earlier today, Vice President Joe Biden spoke at the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee’s 100th Anniversary Celebration. U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23) released the following statement:

“I applaud Vice President Biden’s statement today at the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee’s 100th Anniversary Celebration where he underscored the Obama Administration’s commitment to addressing the needs of our nation’s Holocaust survivors. 

“South Florida is the home to the second largest Holocaust survivor population in the country. Ensuring that Holocaust survivors receive the services they need has been a top legislative and personal priority for me since I have been in elected office. This is why I joined my South Florida colleagues to introduce the RUSH Act, which would enable Holocaust survivors to live with dignity, comfort, and security in their remaining years.

“As a nation that upholds the values of freedom, liberty, and justice, we have a moral obligation to acknowledge the plight and uphold the dignity of Holocaust survivors to ensure their well-being. Our children’s generation will be the last to know Holocaust survivors and hear their stories first hand. We must do all we can to acknowledge their struggles and honor their lives by improving their access to transportation to get them where they need to go, and improve their home-care options so that they can have the peace of mind of aging in place and avoid an institutional setting which could be uniquely painful for Holocaust survivors.

“The Vice President’s announcement today is a major step forward. By creating a new Special Envoy in the Department of Health and Human Services, as outlined in the RUSH Act, a new AmeriCops VISTA partnership, and a proposed fund for public-private partnerships, the Administration has demonstrated its strong commitment to effectively coordinating programming and services to address Holocaust survivors’ needs.”