Maryland State Senator Shelly Hettleman spent the day in Washington, D.C. lobbying alongside Jewish leaders and advocates from across the country with the Jewish Federations of North America in support of bipartisan legislation aimed at combating antisemitism and protecting religious institutions.

Hettleman said the proposed legislation would increase federal security funding for religious institutions and nonprofits, including funding for security guards and building hardening improvements, while also addressing online antisemitism.

She noted that Jewish organizations nationwide now spend more than $750 million annually on security and emphasized the growing need for federal partnership amid rising hate crimes targeting the Jewish community and other religious groups.