Emhoff to meet with House antisemitism task force
The meeting comes as the first Jewish second gentleman has made fighting antisemitism a larger and more visible part of his portfolio
Oliver Contreras/for The Washington Post via Getty Images
Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff, center, husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, delivers remarks during a roundtable about the rise of antisemitism at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on December 7, 2022, in Washington, D.C.
Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff is set to meet on Thursday with the co-chairs of the House Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism, Jewish Insider has learned. The closed-door meeting will serve as something of a listening session for Emhoff to hear from members of Congress.
A source with knowledge of Emhoff’s visit to Capitol Hill told JI the meeting is meant to indicate that antisemitism will remain a priority for him as he heads into his third year as second gentleman.
“This meeting will be an opportunity for the second gentleman to hear directly from members of Congress and discuss the administration’s efforts to combat antisemitism,” a White House official told JI on Wednesday.
Emhoff, the first Jewish spouse of a president or vice president, has made combating antisemitism a core focus of his responsibilities as second gentleman. Last month, he convened a first-of-its-kind meeting on antisemitism, attended by a diverse array of Jewish leaders, at the White House.
The bipartisan task force has both Democratic and Republican co-chairs, and is helmed by Reps. Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Kathy Manning (D-NC), among other bipartisan co-chairs. The Senate has a corresponding task force, led by Sens. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and James Lankford (R-OK).