Amidst Threats to Faith-Based Community Protection Grants, Moskowitz Co-Leads Bipartisan Letter Urging Admin Against Funding Cuts That Florida Houses of Worship Rely On

WASHINGTON, DC — Congressmen Jared Moskowitz (D-FL-23), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ-05), and Mike Lawler (R-NY-17) recently joined together to push the Trump Administration to safeguard FEMA’s Non-Profit Security Grant Program (NSGP), a key source of security funding for houses of worship and faith-based nonprofits across Florida. Their letter to Acting FEMA Administrator Cameron Hamilton—joined onto by 76 other members of the U.S. House of Representatives—comes as the Trump Administration considers drawdowns in funding for Federal Emergency Management Grant programs like this one.

“All across America, we’re seeing an increase in antisemitic hate crimes, including at my own synagogue in Parkland,” Congressman Moskowitz said. “We need to be doing everything we can to protect places of worship that face continuous threats. As a former emergency manager who helped facilitate these funds for the state of Florida, I know how important FEMA’s Non-Profit Security Grant Program is to protecting faith-based communities. I want to ensure that these grants get to the non-profits and houses of worship that need them, and I want assurance that these grants won’t be impacted when the Administration finishes its review of FEMA projects.”

The temple in Parkland, Florida, that Moskowitz belongs to was targeted in October 2023 by five individuals wearing ski masks and shouting “Kill the Jews” and other antisemitic obscenities at congregants. In 2023, there were 2,699 reported hate crimes based on religion, of which around two-thirds were driven by antisemitism—the highest number ever recorded by the FBI since it began collecting the data in 1991.

The Non-Profit Security Grant Program (NSGP) has provided life-saving funding to protect faith-based communities and institutions. From bollards to prevent vehicular attacks, reinforced doors to keep intruders out, CCTV cameras to monitor threats, and emergency alert systems that allow rapid response, the NSGP has ensured faith-based institutions are equipped with vital tools to prevent loss of life in the case of an attack.

There are numerous examples that demonstrate the impact of NSGP. In July 2023, when an armed gunman attempted to breach the Margolin Hebrew Academy in Memphis, NSGP-funded access control doors prevented the shooter from entering the school. In 2021, when gunfire struck the Jewish Family Service building in Denver, NSGP-funded window filming stopped the bullets.

Congressman Moskowitz has been a leading voice in Washington for calling out rising threats to the Jewish community. In February, he also joined Reps. Lawler and Gottheimer to re-introduce the Antisemitism Awareness Act to protect Jewish students.

For more information on the letter led by Reps. Moskowitz, Gottheimer, and Lawler, click HERE.

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