In the News
Jewish Insider: Lawmakers re-introduce bill to pull federal funding from college campuses over antisemitism
By Marc Rod ,
March 27, 2025
A group of Senate and House lawmakers, most of whom are Republicans, is set to re-introduce legislation on Thursday that would prohibit federal funding to any university that allows antisemitic events on its campus. The Stop Antisemitism on College Campuses Act would prohibit federal funding to any college that “authorize[s], facilitate[s], provide[s] funding for or otherwise support[s] any event promoting antisemitism on campus,” as defined by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism. The legislation is being sponsored by Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) and Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY), with co-sponsors including Sens. Bernie Moreno (R-OH), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Katie Britt (R-AL), Steve Daines (R-MT) and James Lankford (R-OK), and Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Abe Hamadeh (R-AZ), Stephanie Bice (R-OK), Don Bacon (R-NE), Andrew Garbarino (R-NY), Tom Kean Jr. (R-NJ), Nick LaLota (R-NY), Claudia Tenney (R-NY) and Tom Suozzi (D-NY). Suozzi is currently the only Democratic supporter of the bill. “The intention of taxpayer dollars for universities is to educate students, not promote and foster hate. We’ve witnessed campuses across our nation turn into cesspools for anti-Jewish, anti-Israel activists,” Scott said in a statement. “Let’s make one thing clear: federal funding is a privilege and not a right. Rooting out hate wherever it rears its ugly head will always be in fashion. I remain dedicated to defending the rights of Jewish students to attend class peacefully.” The bill’s introduction comes ahead of a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing on antisemitism on Thursday morning. Scott is a member of the committee. “As chair of the MENA Subcommittee and a strong supporter of Israel and the Jewish community, I’m committed to ensuring our universities take antisemitism seriously – holding offenders accountable and preventing incidents before they occur,” Lawler said in a statement. “That’s why I’m reintroducing the Stop Antisemitism on College Campuses Act, which will stop universities from allowing antisemitism events on campus in the first place.” |