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Congressional Caucus on Black-Jewish Relations Celebrates Jewish American Heritage Month

Fri, 15 May 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Washington D.C. – In honor of Jewish American Heritage Month (JAHM), the Congressional Caucus on Black-Jewish Relations, led by Representatives Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) and Nikema Williams (D-GA) proudly celebrates the rich history, culture, and contributions of Jewish Americans, and released the following statement:

"As we mark Jewish American Heritage Month this May, we honor generations of Jewish Americans whose faith, resilience, and leadership in all facets of American life have contributed to our nation's strength.

"We also recognize the historic bonds between Black and Jewish people in the United States, forged through our shared struggle for justice, civil rights, and equality under the law. The achievements of Black Jewish Americans like Rabbi Alysa Stanton, the first Black woman rabbi, are a point of pride for both communities.

"At a time of rising antisemitic and racist attacks, political violence, and cynical efforts to reverse decades of progress and undermine our democracy, this solidarity has never been more essential.

“This May, as co-chairs of the Congressional Caucus on Black-Jewish Relations, we recommit to our mission of building cross-community collaboration, defeating hate in all forms, and fending off attacks on our fundamental rights as Americans."

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Wasserman Schultz, Fitzpatrick, DeSaulnier, Wilson Introduce Cancer Survivorship Bill

Thu, 14 May 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25), Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick(PA-1), Rep. Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), and Rep. Joe Wilson (SC-2) re-introduced the Lainie Jones Comprehensive Cancer Survivorship Act (CCSA), a critical piece of legislation which will address gaps in survivorship care and develop desperately needed standards to improve the overall patient-centered quality of care and navigation needs of cancer survivors and their families.

This legislation is named for Lainie Jones, who faced adrenal carcinoma, sarcoma, breast cancer, thyroid cancer, melanoma, lung cancer, and recently passed away due to glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. Diagnosed with cancer for the first time at 18 months old, after her third diagnosis in her twenties, Jones found out she had Li-Fraumeni syndrome—a rare genetic condition that predisposes her to multiple cancers. She spent 13 years as an online advocate, encouraging followers to do self-checks and stay up to date with doctor visits.

“As a cancer survivor, confronting it head-on, with an all-hands-on-deck approach, is my personal and professional mission. With the Lainie Jones Comprehensive Cancer Survivorship Act, I am proud to introduce far-reaching legislation that better enables cancer survivors to choose their own path, provides them agency and autonomy over their personal health experiences and decisions, and addresses the entire survivorship continuum of care,” said Wasserman Schultz, Co-Chair of the House Cancer Caucus. “From the point of diagnosis, through active treatment and transitions to primary care, until the end of life, this legislation sets the standards of care that all survivors need and deserve. This bill confronts care planning, transition, navigation, workforce, education, and awareness, and empowers survivors with the best possible resources and care to overcome this terrible disease. No survivor or family should be left in the wilderness to navigate this disease or its aftermath.”

“Cancer survivorship is not an afterthought—it is part of the fight. A diagnosis changes a life in an instant, but for survivors and their families, the challenges often continue long after treatment ends. Our health care system must meet that reality with the same seriousness, coordination, and compassion we bring to fighting the disease itself. The Lainie Jones Comprehensive Cancer Survivorship Act strengthens the continuum of care—from survivorship planning and care navigation to workforce support, education, and long-term follow-up—so survivors are not left to navigate life after cancer alone,” said Fitzpatrick, Co-Chair of the House Cancer Caucus.

“I know from firsthand experience as a cancer survivor the importance of quality care not just to beat cancer, but also to thrive in the years following a diagnosis. I am proud to join Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz and my colleagues in leading this effort to set new standards of care that address the unique needs of cancer patients from diagnosis to treatment to aftercare to ultimately improve their quality of life,” said DeSaulnier

"I am grateful to support all those recovering from breast cancer by joining my colleagues in leading the Lainie Jones Comprehensive Cancer Survivorship Act. Comprehensive postoperative care is critical to supporting patients. I am particularly appreciative of the medical professionals in South Carolina who worked with my daughter-in-law Jennifer Wilson to persevere against aggressive breast cancer. Jennifer's example to the women of South Carolina and elsewhere remains an inspiration,” said Wilson.

"The data is unambiguous: only one in three survivors receive a survivorship care plan, and that number is falling. At the same time, half of all survivors are experiencing financial hardship tied to their diagnosis,” said Shelley Fuld Nasso, Chief Executive Officer of Cancer Nation. “These are not statistics — they are the daily reality of 18 million Americans living with, through, and beyond cancer. The Lainie Jones Comprehensive Cancer Survivorship Act answers that reality with real solutions, from coverage of care planning and coordination to employment assistance to a payment model that rewards quality survivorship care. Cancer Nation has spent 40 years fighting for survivors' right to not just survive but thrive. This bill makes that possible, and we are proud to stand with Representatives Wasserman Schultz, Fitzpatrick, Wilson, and DeSaulnier in demanding it."

“Following active treatment, cancer patients are faced with a transition to survivorship care that can be disjointed and difficult to navigate. There are nearly 19 million cancer survivors across the US. These individuals often face higher healthcare costs for the rest of their lives,” said Lisa Lacasse, President of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN). “The Lainie Jones Comprehensive Cancer Survivor Act creates pathways to address the financial challenges of cancer survivorship and maintain patients’ access to the health services needed to address the long-term effects of cancer, giving them the best chance of remaining cancer-free. We offer our enthusiastic support for this bill and urge Congress to pass it.”

“More than 521,000 childhood cancer survivors face a lifetime of health challenges due to their treatment. Many transition into primary care without a survivorship care plan and are unprepared for the significant health issues they may face, including hearing loss, infertility, and cardiac late effects,” said Steve Woshala, Chief Executive Officer of Children’s Cancer Cause. The Lainie Jones Comprehensive Cancer Survivorship Act helps address the specialized needs of this population through provisions such as Medicaid coverage to ease transitions of care.”

“Over the last 20 years, we have made tremendous strides in the treatment of lymphoma and many other blood cancers, as well as understanding the unique needs of cancer survivors,” said Meghan Gutierrez, Chief Executive Officer of the Lymphoma Research Foundation. "The Lymphoma Research Foundation commends Representatives Wasserman Schultz, Fitzpatrick, DeSaulnier, and Wilson for reintroducing the Lainie Jones Comprehensive Cancer Survivorship Act and recognizing that surviving cancer brings with it a set of physical, psychological, and financial needs that require ongoing attention and support. The Foundation is committed to the continued support of people with lymphoma and their care partners, to ensure that they not only survive but thrive in the face of a diagnosis.”

This legislation addresses:

Care Planning and Transition: Provides coverage to address the transition to primary care to help survivors develop personalized treatment care plans, standardizes processes, and consolidates treatments to guide survivorship monitoring and follow-up care;
Alternative Payment Model: Studies existing reimbursement landscape to develop an alternative payment model to ensure a coordinated approach to survivorship care across an episode of care, including the creation of comprehensive navigation services;
Quality of Care: Establishes grants to promote utilization of navigation, employment of risk-stratification, transition to primary care, utilization of care plans, potential use of at-home care, and better use of information technology for patient experience data;
Employment: Establishes employment assistance grants to help survivors, their families, and caregivers when faced with a range of workforce challenges; and
Education, Awareness: Creates resources for survivors and health professionals to promote early detection, preventive care and help providers provide high-quality services.

It also addresses innovation and technology use, long-term studies on cancer survivorship progress in the U.S., access to fertility and preservation services, and provisions concerning childhood and adolescent cancer.

Over 50 organizations have endorsed the Lainie Jones Comprehensive Cancer Survivorship Act:

Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators (AONN+), Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Coalition, Alliance for Fertility Preservation, American Association for Cancer Research, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Society for Radiation Oncology, Association for Clinical Oncology, Association of American Cancer Institutes, Blood Cancer United, The Brem Foundation to Defeat Breast Cancer, Cactus Cancer Society, Cancer Awareness Network for Children, Inc., CancerCare, Cancer Nation, Cancer Support Community, Cancer Survivorship and Supportive Care Professionals Network (CSPN), Cervivor, Chemo Divas Foundation, Children's Cancer Cause, Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation, Circle of Care for Families of Children with Cancer, Inc., Digestive Disease National Coalition, Emily Whitehead Foundation, Fight Colorectal Cancer, FORCE: Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered, Hadassah, The Women's Zionist Organization of America, Head for the Cure, Hodgkin's International, I'm Not Done Yet Foundation, International Myeloma Foundation, Living Beyond Breast Cancer, LUNGevity Foundation, Lymphoma Research Foundation, Male Breast Cancer Global Alliance, Man Up to Cancer, National Comprehensive Cancer Network, The National Pancreas Foundation, National Patient Advocate Foundation, Nicole Cares Foundation, Nueva Vida, Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance, Patient Empowerment Network, Prevent Cancer Foundation, Project Life, RESOLVE: The National Infertility and Family Building Association, Sharsheret, Sisters Network Inc., Stupid Cancer, Inc., Susan G. Komen, Teen Cancer America, Tigerlily Foundation, Triage Cancer, Unite for HER, Worth the Wait, Young Survival Coalition, and ZERO Prostate Cancer.

The full bill text can be found here.

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Wasserman Schultz Statement on the Everglades Internment Camp’s Reported Closure

Tue, 12 May 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25) released the following statement on the reported closure of the Everglades Internment Camp, otherwise known as ‘Alligator Alcatraz’:

"The Everglades internment camp’s closure is long overdue. This monument to cruelty, waste and environmental and tribal lands abuse should have never been built. At my surprise oversight inspection last month, I saw atrocious conditions that Florida taxpayers were forced to spend over $1 million a day on, just to cram people with no criminal history into cages and trample our sensitive Everglades.

"This camp isn't closing because ICE leaders found a conscience. It’s closing because the Trump Administration still refuses to pay back Florida taxpayers more than $1 billion in tax dollars they basically lit on fire. I’m proud to have fought it at every turn, in Congress, in court, and alongside environmental advocates, Miccosukee tribal leaders, human rights defenders, and ordinary Floridians who rejected this abomination.

"But this fight isn't done. Democrats will investigate this atrocity and demand accountability. We will keep fighting for reforms to stop ICE brutality and let law-abiding people live their lives."

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Wasserman Schultz Convenes Floridians, Small Business Owners to Sound the Alarm on Affordability

Mon, 11 May 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Pembroke Pines, FL – Today, U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25) convened residents and small business owners to share how high gas, grocery and housing costs continue to hurt South Florida families and small business owners, as Republicans plan to return to Washington this week to seek billions of taxpayer dollars to fund cruel mass deportations by ICE and a Trump ballroom.

Watch the livestream here. Backup video can be found here.

When she last highlighted this problem, a gallon of regular unleaded in Florida was $4.16. Just a month later, that price surged to nearly $4.50 per gallon, an eight percent increase.

During the press conference, Wasserman Schultz expressed support for the Gas Price Relief Act, which would suspend the 18.4-cent federal gas tax whenever the national average price of gas exceeds $4 per gallon and fully offset the lost revenue by redirecting roughly $30 billion in existing federal oil and gas subsidies into the fund.

She also expressed support for the Lowering Utility Bills Act, which would bar transmission providers and for-profit utilities from requiring consumers to pay for private jet rides, lobbying, and contributions to politicians, and it sets a national standard for a reasonable ‘Return on Equity,’ to clamp down on for-profit utilities charging consumers unreasonable rates.

“Americans struggle to afford food, gas, and healthcare, but Republicans ask taxpayers to pay $1 billion for a Trump ballroom,” said Wasserman Schultz. “With just the $210 billion that Republicans are gifting ICE and Border Patrol, we could extend the health care premium tax credits for at least 6 years, reverse the SNAP cuts from the Big Ugly Bill, fund a decade of free preschool for 4-year-olds, and fund the National School Lunch Program for a decade. We could fund Head Start for more than 15 years, we can restore the clean energy tax credits Republicans cut last year and expand rental and home buying assistance. That’s how you lower costs for South Florida families.”

Wasserman Schultz was joined by Vannuchi Brothers Pizza owner Michael Reiter, LifeNet4Families employee and single mother Renae Cameron, and retiree and mother of a son with autism Elaine Terner.

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Wasserman Schultz Convenes Housing Affordability Roundtable

Mon, 04 May 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Dania Beach, FL – Today, U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25) convened local elected leaders, housing advocates and residents facing skyrocketing housing costs to discuss possible solutions and reforms the affordability problem confronting nearly all Floridians when it comes to keeping a roof over their head.

Watch the full press conference here.

In Florida, the housing affordability crisis is driven primarily by an extreme shortage of homes, specifically the availability of affordable homes for renters at the lowest end of the income scale. For every 100 rental homes in the state, only 26 are both affordable and available on the market for low-income households.

“Too many families are one hospital visit from bankruptcy and view the American dream as unattainable. Affordable housing is critical to achieving that dream,” said Wasserman Schultz. “Working people need an affordable place to settle down to raise a family. I want to make Florida that place once again. I’ll take what I heard here back to Washington and use them to help fight for solutions.”

Wasserman Schultz is a member of the New Democrats Coalition, which has put forward a set of 14 bills that would address the housing crisis with a focus on boosting supply, incentivizing development, and positioning the government as a partner to put land to good use. It also includes financial products and incentives families can use to buy a home, not just to benefit investors.

Wasserman Schultz was joined by Broward County Commissioner Nan Rich, Dania Beach Commissioner Lori Lewellen, Broward County Housing Authority CEO Parnell Joyce, Broward County Housing Finance Authority Executive Director Ralph Stone, Broward Legal Aid Director Jeff Hittleman, Dania Beach Housing Board Member Doug Hasty, Housing Foundation of America Chair Chester Bishop, LifeNet4Families CEO Denise Brown, and LifeNet4Families client Freddy Bonilla.

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Wasserman Schultz Stands With TPS Recipients, Advocates to Call on Supreme Court to Defend TPS

Fri, 01 May 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Plantation, FL – Today, U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25), joined Temporary Protected Status (TPS) recipients and immigration advocates to call on the U.S. Supreme Court to defend TPS after the court heard arguments in Miot v. Trump, a consolidated case challenging the Trump administration’s unlawful termination of TPS for Haiti and Syria. This case also has significant implications for 1.3 million TPS holders of several nationalities across the country.

Watch the full press conference here.

“TPS holders earn work permits, pay taxes, and get zero government welfare. They pay into Medicare and Social Security and get nothing in return,” said Wasserman Schultz. “It does nobody any good to take good people out of the workforce, people who just came here to make a better life for their families.”

“These are families who are contributing to our workforce, caring for our elderly, supporting our local economies, and raising the next generation of Americans,” said Denise Brown, CEO of LifeNet4Families. “The question before us is simple: Do we continue to leave these families in limbo, or do we recognize their humanity, their contributions, and their right to stability?”

“Venezuelans have been living under the consequences of a decision from the Trump Administration that was abrupt, political, and disconnected from reality,” said Adelys Ferro, Venezuelan American Caucus Executive Director. “A decision that ignored a humanitarian crisis that has lasted over a decade. A decision that ignored the fact that Venezuela remains under a dictatorship where repression, corruption, persecution, and fear are still very much in place.”

“This Administration professes to uphold the rule of law. Few people symbolize respect for the rule of law more than TPS beneficiaries. Those who have been on TPS since 2010, it’s akin to being on probation for fifteen years and never violating it,” said Frandley Julien, an immigration attorney. “So those people, when you think of them, are law-abiding citizens. We cannot let the Administration commit such injustice against hard-working, law-abiding citizens.”

“Everything that I’ve known – all of my family, all of my relations – are in the United States,” said Nora Massenat, a Haitian TPS recipient. “I don’t want to end up uprooting all of the relationships and all of the things that I’ve built in the United States – that I’ve come to know and to love – to move to a country that is unsafe and uncertain, where I don’t have my family there.”

Wasserman Schultz led more than 180 Members of Congress in filing an amicus brief to the Supreme Court in support of the plaintiffs in this case. The brief urges the Court to preserve TPS protections, emphasizing the bipartisan support for TPS and the immense public interest served by TPS holders in Florida and across the United States. The brief also highlights how the TPS statute was intended to provide a safe haven for those who are fleeing violence abroad. The full amicus brief can be found here.

Wasserman Schultz is a lead sponsor of the bipartisan Venezuela TPS Act of 2025 and has led several previous amicus briefs in support of Venezuelan and Haitian TPS recipients. She has also signed discharge petitions to force a vote on restoring TPS for Venezuelans and for Haitians, the latter of which, led by Rep. Pressley, secured the requisite 218 signatures and passed the House of Representatives.

WLRN: Wasserman Schultz joins advocates to urge US Supreme Court to protect TPS for Haitians, Venezuelans

Fri, 01 May 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Just days after the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments for restoring Temporary Protected Status for Haitian and Syrian immigrants, Democratic South Florida Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz on Friday urged the nation's highest court to grant the extension of TPS.

With TPS recipients and immigrant advocates at her side at a news conference in Plantation, the veteran lawmaker from Weston said a court decision favorable to Haitians and Syrians would potentially benefit 1.3 million TPS holders, including hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans. She has been a longtime supporter of Haitian and Venezuelan TPS holders.

“TPS holders earn work permits, pay taxes, and get zero government welfare. They pay into Medicare and Social Security and get nothing in return,” said Wasserman Schultz. “It does nobody any good to take good people out of the workforce, people who just came here to make a better life for their families.”

The Supreme Court's conservative majority, however, seemed ready Wednesday in Miot v. Trump to side with the Trump administration by potentially proceeding with mass deportations of more than a million foreign nationals, including those from Haiti and Syria, who live and work legally in the United States. Tens of thousands of Haitian TPS recipients live and work in Florida, especially South Florida, making the state home to the largest number in the nation.

Until now these individuals have been accorded temporary legal status because their safety is imperiled by war or natural disasters in their home countries.

" Our neighbors deserve better than being sent to a failed state where kidnappings for ransom are common and criminal gangs are the highest paying employers," Wasserman Schultz said.

Congress enacted the Temporary Protected Status program in 1990, and every president since then — Republican and Democrat — has embraced TPS. President Trump, however, is trying to end it.

Trump's solicitor general, D. John Sauer, told the justices that the statute clearly bars any court review of the administration's decisions. And he dismissed the idea that a separate law established to provide procedural fairness does not allow the courts to review the Homeland Security agency's decision-making either. Pressed by the court's three liberal justices, Sauer insisted that the courts cannot review anything.

Representing the Haitians, lawyer Geoffrey Pipoly described the administration's review as "a sham."

"The true reason for the termination [of TPS status] is the president's racial animus toward non-white immigrants and bare dislike of Haitians in particular," Pipoly said. "The secretary herself described people from Haiti" and from other non-white countries as "killers, leeches, saying, 'We don't want them, not one,'" while "simultaneously enacting another humanitarian form of relief for white and only white South Africans."

At Friday's press conference with Wasserman Schultz in Sunrise, immigrant advocates and Haitian TPS recipients steered clear of the racist argument. Instead, they spoke about the contributions of all TPS holders to the U.S. economy.

Denise Brown, CEO of LifeNet4Families, said TPS holders "are contributing to our workforce, caring for our elderly, supporting our local economies, and raising the next generation of Americans."

“The question before us is simple: Do we continue to leave these families in limbo, or do we recognize their humanity, their contributions, and their right to stability?” Brown said.

Adelys Ferro, a longtime Venezuelan activist who is executive director of the South Florida-based Venezuelan American Caucus, said the Trump administration decision last year to strip TPS from Venezuelans "was abrupt, political, and disconnected from reality.”

She said the decision "ignored" the decade long humanitarian crisis in Venezuela and "ignored the fact that Venezuela remains under a dictatorship where repression, corruption, persecution, and fear are still very much in place.”

Frandley Julien, an immigration attorney, said TPS holders are thoroughly vetted by federal immigration authorities and are law-abiding immigrants.

"Few people symbolize respect for the rule of law more than TPS beneficiaries," Julien said. "Those [Haitians] who have been on TPS since 2010, it’s akin to being on probation for fifteen years and never violating it."

TPS recipients lose their status if they are convicted of a single felony offense or two misdemeanor offenses.

Nora Massenat, a Haitian TPS recipient since 2010, told reporters at the news conference that she's created an entirely new life in the United States.

“I don’t want to end up uprooting all of the relationships and all of the things that I’ve built in the United States — that I’ve come to know and to love — to move to a country that is unsafe and uncertain, where I don’t have my family there.”

Wasserman Schultz Introduces Bipartisan Jewish American Heritage Month Resolution

Thu, 30 Apr 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Washington D.C. – Today, U.S. Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-01), Troy A. Carter, Sr. (LA-02), and Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01) introduced a resolution to recognize Jewish American Heritage Month (JAHM) in the House of Representatives and condemn rising antisemitism. JAHM aims to recognize the significant contributions of Jewish Americans to the society and culture of the United States. This year recognizes the role of Jewish Americans throughout the 250-year history of our nation and the heroic efforts of those who served in uniform to help forge this more perfect union.

“As we celebrate the 21st year of Jewish American Heritage Month, I’m proud to lead this effort to detail all the remarkable contributions that generations of Jewish Americans made to shape our nation’s history, culture and society,” said Wasserman Schultz. “This celebration is also one of the most effective ways to combat rising antisemitism, as Jews and non-Jews alike come to learn about all the amazing Jewish men and women who played critical roles to advance the American experiment over the past 250 years, including those who defended our nation in the military. I’m so grateful to have strong, bipartisan support in this effort.”

“Few stories speak more clearly to the promise of America than the story of Jewish Americans — a story of faith, resilience, service, sacrifice, and an enduring devotion to freedom. Their contributions are not a footnote to American history; they are among its essential chapters,” said Fitzpatrick. “This bipartisan resolution honors that legacy and, amid the continued and alarming rise in antisemitism, reaffirms a solemn responsibility: to stand with Jewish Americans, confront hatred with moral clarity, and ensure that antisemitism finds no refuge in the United States of America. As Co-Chair of the Bipartisan Task Force for Combatting Antisemitism, I will continue working across the aisle and within our PA-1 community to lead that effort.”

“During Jewish American Heritage Month, we come together to recognize our Jewish neighbors' rich legacy of history and culture. This month, and every month, we celebrate the incredible vibrancy and diversity of Jewish life and the critical contributions Jewish Americans have made to our nation,” said Carter. “At the same time, we must stand against the rising tide of antisemitism and all forms of hatred and discrimination. This Jewish American Heritage Month, I will keep fighting to ensure everyone can live without fear.”

“I am proud to join Reps. Wasserman Schultz, Carter, and Fitzpatrick in leading this bipartisan effort to recognize May as Jewish American Heritage Month,” said Miller-Meeks. “As antisemitism continues to rise across our country, it is more important than ever that we stand united in confronting hatred and honoring the contributions of Jewish Americans. I will continue working to combat antisemitism and stand firmly with our Jewish friends and neighbors.”

This year’s JAHM resolution commemorates the contributions of more than one million Jewish Americans who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces and highlights the valiance of several Jewish servicemembers who earned the Medal of Honor. The resolution is endorsed by the ADL; American Jewish Committee (AJC); Combat Antisemitism Movement(CAM); Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America; the Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA); the Jewish Federations of North America; Jewish War Veterans of the USA; National Council of Jewish Women; Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America (Orthodox Union); Rabbinical Assembly; Sephardic Heritage International DC (SHIN-DC); and the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism (USCJ).

“Jewish American Heritage Month is an opportunity to celebrate the rich history, culture, and contributions of Jewish Americans who have helped shape our nation,” said Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO and National Director of the ADL. “This recognition is especially important as antisemitism continues to rise. We are grateful to Reps. Wasserman Schultz, Fitzpatrick, Carter, and Miller-Meeks for their leadership on the JAHM resolution, and we look forward to working alongside leaders in Congress to help protect Jewish communities.”

“According to American Jewish Committee’s State of Antisemitism in America 2025 Report, 91% of American Jews say they feel less safe as a Jewish person in the United States due to violent attacks on American Jews in the past year,” said Ted Deutch, CEO of American Jewish Committee (AJC). “When so many American Jews report feeling less safe in their daily lives, this resolution importantly affirms both the celebration of Jewish life in the United States and the shared responsibility to confront anti-Jewish hate in all its forms. We are grateful to Representatives Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Brian Fitzpatrick, Troy Carter, and Mariannette Miller-Meeks for their leadership in advancing this important measure and reaffirming that America’s strength lies in the celebration of both our shared values and our distinct identities.”

“For 250 years, Jewish Americans have had an indelible impact on society, helping shape national identity through contributions in science, medicine, business, law, public service, media, sports, and entertainment,” said Alyza Lewin, President of U.S. Affairs for the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM). “We commend this bipartisan resolution as a powerful affirmation of the integral role Jews have played in the great American story, and we thank Congress for honoring the richness of Jewish American life and sending a clear message that antisemitism has no place in the United States.”

“One of the most important ways to counter rising antisemitism in the United States is to increase public awareness of the American Jewish community’s significant contributions to the country’s civic, cultural and scientific life,” said Carol Ann Schwartz, National President of Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America. “Hadassah is grateful to Representatives Wasserman Schultz, Miller-Meeks, Carter and Fitzpatrick for their leadership in introducing this bipartisan resolution recognizing Jewish American Heritage Month. We urge Congress to support this critical resolution and continue speaking out against the rise in antisemitic hatred.”

“Jewish history is American history, and Jewish American Heritage Month offers us an opportunity to honor and celebrate the contributions that Jewish Americans have had in making this country what it is — and to recommit ourselves to the critical work of building a better America,” said Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA). “Since this country’s founding, Jewish Americans have helped lead movements to strengthen our democracy and expand civil rights — advocating for religious freedom, immigrant justice, workers’ rights, and equal protection under the law. We are grateful for this bipartisan effort to honor Jewish Americans’ critical contributions to our nation, to fight antisemitism wherever it is, and to reaffirm our clear understanding that Jewish safety and American democracy are inseparable.”

“Jewish American Heritage Month is a powerful celebration of the vibrancy, resilience, and enduring contributions of Jewish Americans to every chapter of our nation’s story,” said Gary Torgow, Chair of the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA). “At a time of rising antisemitism and real security concerns for our communities, this recognition affirms our deep American roots, the contributions we have made to the great American experiment, and our right to live our communal lives safely as full members of American society. We are proud to support this bipartisan effort to honor Jewish life while standing united against hate in all its forms.”

“American Jews are living through an unprecedented time of challenge in the United States, as antisemitism has reached unprecedented rates,” said Nathan Diament, Executive Director of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America (Orthodox Union). “But we remain hopeful that Congress and other leaders of our society will remain true to the founding principles that gave Jews — and Americans of all faiths — unprecedented religious liberty in this great nation. We pray that in the upcoming month, JAHM events will enable us to celebrate American Jewish history and the greatness of the United States of America.”

“Sephardic Heritage International (SHIN-DC) proudly supports the 2026 resolution honoring Jewish American Heritage Month,” said Afraim Katzir, Director of Sephardic Heritage International (SHIN-DC). “Over the past 250 years, and as reflected by the resolution's narrative, the Sephardic community has made vital contributions to this great country, reminding us that Jewish American heritage is a rich, multicultural story spanning Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas—and thereby fostering understanding across diverse communities while countering prejudice and antisemitism by challenging simplistic narratives and harmful stereotypes about Jews.”

The United States observes JAHM annually each May to encourage all Americans to learn more about Jewish culture and pay tribute to the generations of Jewish Americans who have helped shape American history. With antisemitism on the rise in our country, fueled by the spread of hatred, disinformation, and Holocaust distortion online, JAHM provides an opportunity to celebrate Jewish voices and bring together all our communities in the fight against antisemitism and hate.

Federal recognition of JAHM began as the result of a resolution sponsored by Wasserman Schultz in the U.S. House of Representatives, and in the U.S. Senate by the late Arlen Specter in 2006. Passing unanimously, it was then established by presidential proclamation and has since been renewed every May by Presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joseph Biden.

Read the full resolution here.

Wasserman Schultz, Van Duyne Introduce the Breast Cancer Research Stamp Reauthorization Act

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Washington, DC – U.S. Representatives Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL-25) and Beth Van Duyne (R-TX-24) introduced H.R. 8358 the Breast Cancer Research Stamp Reauthorization Act of 2026. This legislation extends the U.S. Postal Service’s authority to issue the Breast Cancer Research semipostal stamp for an additional 10 years, ensuring continued voluntary funding for breast cancer research. A companion bill has been introduced in the U.S. Senate by Senator Ashley Moody (R-FL) and Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV).

The Breast Cancer Research stamp has raised millions of dollars for lifesaving research while giving Americans a simple way to support the fight against breast cancer. With the current authorization set to expire in 2027, this bill ensures the program can continue supporting innovative research and advancing progress against one of the most common cancers affecting women in the United States.

“I know what it's like to hear the dreaded words: 'you have breast cancer.' As a survivor, this fight is personal,” said Wasserman Schultz. “That's why I'm proud to lead this bipartisan effort to reauthorize the Breast Cancer Research stamp program, which raised nearly $100 million for lifesaving studies at the Defense Department and NIH. Every stamp purchase is a commitment to beat this deadly disease.”

“The Breast Cancer Research stamp program proves that small actions can make a big difference, raising nearly $100 million for lifesaving research over the past three decades,” said Van Duyne. “I am glad to lead this bipartisan, bicameral effort to extend the program for another decade to give Americans an easy, voluntary way to support the fight against a disease that impacts 1 in 8 women.”

Wasserman Schultz and Van Duyne were joined by Reps. Don Bacon (R-NE-2), Steve Cohen (D-TN-9), Debbie Dingell (D-MI-6), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-1), John Garamendi (D-CA-8), and Doris Matsui (D-CA-7) in introducing the bill.

The bill was also supported by the Alliance for Women's Health and Prevention, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, American College of Surgeons, American Medical Women’s Association, American Society of Breast Surgeons, American Society of Plastic Surgeons, American Society for Radiation Oncology, Breastcancer.org, Cancer Nation, CancerCare, Check for a Lump, DenseBreast-info, Inc., FORCE: Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered, HealthyWomen, Living Beyond, Breast Cancer, Livestrong, Lobular Breast Cancer Alliance Inc., Male Breast Cancer Global Alliance, Men Supporting Women With Cancer, METAvivor Research and Support, NAACP, National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women's Health, National Black Nurses Association, National Cancer Registrars Association, National Consortium of Breast Centers, Nueva Vida, Oncology Nursing Society, Prevent Cancer Foundation, SHARE Cancer Support, Society of Breast Imaging, Susan G. Komen, The Brem Foundation to Defeat Breast Cancer, Tigerlily Foundation, Triage Cancer, Unite for HER, and Young Survival Coalition.

“Susan G. Komen applauds the leadership of Senators Rosen and Moody and Congresswomen Van Duyne and Wasserman-Schultz in introducing legislation to reauthorize the Breast Cancer Research Stamp and urge Congress to swiftly act. This bicameral, bipartisan legislation represents a critical opportunity to sustain a proven, innovative funding mechanism that has advanced lifesaving breast cancer research,” said Molly Guthrie, vice president of policy and advocacy for Susan G. Komen.“For almost three decades, the Breast Cancer Research Stamp has raised nearly $98 million for breast cancer research—research that has led to significant progress in the detection and treatment of this disease but is still estimated to take the lives of 43,000 Americans in 2026 alone. Every dollar raised through the Breast Cancer Research Stamp can help advance needed discoveries and save more lives.”

“For decades, progress against breast cancer has depended on strong, sustained support for research. The Breast Cancer Research Stamp has empowered Americans to be part of that effort while helping generate critical funding for breast cancer research at the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Defense medical research programs. Reauthorizing the stamp preserves a proven tool that raises awareness of breast cancer and helps fuel scientific innovation to improve treatment options and resources for patients, survivors, and those at high risk of the disease.” said Ronald J. Weigel, MD, PhD, MBA, FACS, Medical Director, Cancer Programs, American College of Surgeons.

Click HERE to read bill text.

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Wasserman Schultz, Frost Demand House Pass Measure to Extend Haiti TPS

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 04:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25) and Maxwell Frost (FL-10) joined Rep. Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Co-Chair of the House Haiti Caucus, and Rep. Laura Gillen (NY-04) for a press conference alongside colleagues and advocates calling for the extension of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians. Last month, Rep. Pressley’s discharge petition successfully met the 218-signature threshold to move forward with bipartisan support.

Video of the press conference can be found here.

Also joining were House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark, Congressional Black Caucus Chairwoman Yvette Clarke, Congressman Mike Lawler, Maria Praeli, Director of Government Relations and Advocacy at FWD.us, Joshua Bernstein, Director of Immigration, Service Employees International Union, Guerline Jozef, Executive Director, Haitian Bridge Alliance, and Patrice Lawrence, Co-Director, UndocuBlack Network.

“Haiti is overrun by criminal gangs, who kidnap women and girls, extort residents for protection money, and kill with impunity. We must preserve their TPS and protect their lives and safety,” said Wasserman Schultz. “As a descendent of immigrants who fled repression and antisemitism, I'll always fight for law-abiding immigrant families who fled desperate circumstances and who work hard, pay taxes, pass criminal background checks, and contribute to our economy and communities.”

“Extending TPS for Haiti is urgent and necessary,” said Frost. “I’ve been fighting to protect Haitian families in Central Florida because Haiti is facing a devastating humanitarian crisis marked by violence, instability, and a lack of basic safety. The House must act to protect these families, and the Senate must follow with the same urgency.”

“For Haitian nationals, these deportation threats are not policy. They are a death sentence,” said Rep. Frederica Wilson (FL-24). “My constituents have done everything right, and I refuse to stand by while they are sent back into violence, instability, and fear. Haiti is not safe, and we all know it. This is a humanitarian crisis, and I am demanding immediate action to extend TPS, protect these families, and stand with Haiti. I will keep fighting with everything I have until these families are protected and this injustice is brought to an end.”

“Extending TPS for Haiti is not only the moral and humanitarian thing to do—it’s also good policy. It’s good for families, it’s good for our economy, and it’s good for America,” said Pressley. “Today the People’s House has an opportunity to pass our legislation to extend Haiti TPS and save lives. And we must do just that.”

"Before I came to Congress, I made a promise to our Haitian community in Nassau County on Long Island that I would use my voice and work with anyone to help protect this community and their existing legal status here in the United States,” said Gillen. “That’s why the very first bill I introduced was a bipartisan bill to extend TPS for Haitians. Without this protection, they will be forced to return to the horrors in Haiti. It has kept hard-working, law-abiding, and taxpaying members of our community from certain death. I am proud that, with the partnership of my Democratic and Republican colleagues, including Representatives Ayanna Pressley and Mike Lawler, we were able to advance a discharge petition on this issue. This week, I intend to pass the very first bill that I introduced in Congress and deliver on a promise that I made before taking office to protect TPS for Haiti.”

“Since the start of this administration, we’ve witnessed one attack after another on law-abiding immigrants,” said Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (MA-5). “Families are being torn apart, and fear is becoming a twisted new norm across our communities. Extending TPS for our Haitian brothers and sisters would mark a crucial step toward reining in Trump’s terror. I’m deeply grateful to Reps. Pressley and Gillen for leading the fight to save lives, safeguard basic rights, and uphold the dignity our constituents deserve.”

"I am proud to fight alongside my colleagues who have refused to stand by as the 350,000 Haitian TPS holders, whom we have come to call our neighbors, friends, and loved ones, are forced back to the same humanitarian turmoil, gang violence, exploitation, chaos, and instability that they narrowly escaped with their lives. These families embody what it means to be good, decent Americans, and they deserve more than to be treated as numbers in Donald Trump’s deportation machine,” said Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke. “Temporary Protected Status is a promise. For the sake of our Haitian neighbors’ safety and futures, we must not break it.”

"Haitian TPS holders are our family members, neighbors, and friends. They are parents raising kids here. They are caregivers, coworkers, and essential workers who contribute to the places we all call home," said Maria Praeli, Director of Government Relations and Advocacy at FWD.us. "This bill isn’t just a statement about the conditions in Haiti, and the very real justification for continuing TPS. It is also about recognizing what TPS holders already contribute and making a decision that is in the best interest of our communities and our economy.”

“Many of SEIU’s Haitian members with TPS provide in-home long-term care for elderly or disabled U.S. citizens who face the prospect of losing trusted aides they have relied on for intimate assistance for months or years,” said Joshua Bernstein of SEIU at the press conference. “Others play critical roles in airports, hospitals, health clinics or elsewhere. They will be difficult and costly to replace, and America will be poorer for it, their families bereft, their co-workers and employers left to fend for themselves. We hope and expect that a majority [of congressmembers] will vote tomorrow to keep them in their jobs and free from deportation.”

“350,000 people at risk right now, and those are children who are afraid to go to school because they are afraid when they come back home, their mothers, their fathers will not be here,” said Guerline Jozef with Haitian Bridge Alliance at the press conference. “Where will you be? On the right side of history? Or continuing to cause trauma to people who aren’t asking for anything other than safety and protection? We stand in solidarity with the TPS holders, and we are pushing with Congresswoman Pressley and the entire 218 members who came and signed. We are demanding every member of Congress, regardless of which side of the aisle you find yourself, to stand on behalf of the right, human thing to do right now and provide TPS for those Haitians.”

“This is deeply personal for those of us that know what it's like to be vulnerable, for those of us who know what it's like to be living our lives in short increments—which TPS holders do of two years at a time—folks who are parents, folks who are students, folks who are advocates, folks who are caregivers,” said Patrice Lawrence with UndocuBlack Network at the press conference. “We deserve to give them more time, and that is what we can do today and tomorrow by making sure that we say ‘Yes’ to the votes. This is not about politics—this is about Haitian people, and it is the right thing to do no matter which color you represent.”

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