WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), the Special Representative on Anti-Semitism, Racism, and Intolerance for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), today issued the following statement.

“One of the best ways to combat anti-Semitism is to call it out whenever and wherever it raises its ugly head. This is true in the United States and around the world. The swift, united response from congressional leaders in condemning the proliferation of anti-Semitic tropes by Rep. Ilhan Omar is exactly the type of response that helps stop such activity from happening in the future. Words have consequences and lawmakers have a responsibility to choose their words carefully. I sincerely hope that Rep. Omar has learned from this episode and will listen more in the future before falling prey to such negative stereotypes.”