A bill authored by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) to elevate and enhance the Special Envoy position at the State Department charged with monitoring and combating anti-Semitism passed out of the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Thursday.

Smith authored the original provisions of the Global Anti-Semitism Review Act of 2004 that created the position and office of the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism at the State Department.

“Jewish communities here and abroad continue to be targeted for hatred and deadly violence. America has a proud bipartisan history of leading the fight against anti-Semitism,” said Rep. Smith, co-chair of the Bipartisan Congressional Taskforce for Combating Anti-Semitism.

“We must build upon and expand this history. The Special Envoy is critical to focusing and redoubling our leadership and this bill enhances the position,” Smith said. He also called on the Administration to fill the current vacancy for the Special Envoy position at the State Department, noting that the position has been empty for 482 days. Smith’s bill would require the President to nominate a Special Envoy within 90 days of its enactment.

Smith’s bill, the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism Act (HR 1911), has more than 80 cosponsors, including all the co-chairs of the Congressional Anti-Semitism Taskforce. The bill would:

·         Elevate the position of Special Envoy to the rank of Ambassador, nominated by the President with advice and consent of the Senate;

·         Direct the Special Envoy to report directly to the Secretary of State;

·         Prohibit the position from having any duties other than combating anti-Semitism;

·         Mandate the Special Envoy to be the primary advisor to, and coordinate efforts across, the United States Government relating to monitoring and combating anti-Semitism internationally;

·         Support the nomination of candidates of recognized distinction in the fields of combating anti-Semitism, religious freedom, or law enforcement; and

·         Require the President to nominate a Special Envoy no later than 90 days after the bill becomes law and no later than 120 days thereafter whenever the position is empty

Smith was joined by other co-chairs of the Bipartisan Congressional Task Force for Combating Anti-Semitism who cosponsored HR 1911: Reps. Nita Lowey (D-NY), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Eliot Engel (D-NY), Kay Granger (R-TX), Ted Deutch (D-FL), Peter Roskam (R-IL), and Marc Veasey (D-TX).