Press Contact:
Elliot Levy
Press Contact
202-800-7409
Release Date: Wednesday, September 13, 2017
New York – In response to reports that President Trump may not sign a resolution passed unanimously by Congress condemning white supremacist and neo-Nazi groups, Stosh Cotler, CEO of Bend the Arc Jewish Action, released the following statement:
“We're pleased that Congress has heard the voices of Americans demanding a response to the rise and mainstreaming of white supremacy in our society and government. The unanimous passage of this resolution shows that the Resistance is getting results. At the same time, we are horrified—although sadly not surprised—by reports that the President may fail to join in this most basic step to denounce the groups responsible for violence in Charlottesville and around the country. The fact that the administration failed to immediately announce the president would sign this resolution shows where their true sympathies lie: With the neo-Nazis and white supremacists the resolution condemns.
“We know we can't trust the Trump administration to fight white supremacy, which leaves this vital mission to Congress. This resolution is a good first step, but there is still much more to do if our legislators are serious about erasing this hateful ideology. Congress must also censure Trump for his unacceptable initial response to Charlottesville, call on him to fire white nationalist champion Stephen Miller, and remove Confederate statues—monuments to the cause of white supremacy—from the U.S. Capitol.
“Working with our partners and allies in Congress and around the country, Bend the Arc has taken the lead in calling out the influence of white nationalism in our government and pressuring Congress to respond. We will continue to speak out and demand action from our nation’s leaders until our politics are free of white supremacy and all forms of hatred and bigotry.”
With its We’ve Seen This Before campaign during the 2016 election cycle and ongoing efforts since, Bend the Arc Jewish Action has been committed to opposing white supremacy and its influence within the Trump administration and leading the Resistance against Trump’s agenda in the Jewish community nationwide. Joined by members of Congress and other progressive leaders, the organization held a press conference outside the U.S. Capitol on Sept. 7 to demand that Congress censure Trump for his Charlottesville comments, call on him to fire Stephen Miller and remove all Confederate statues from the Capitol.
