House to vote on antisemitism bill amid campus arrests

The House is set to vote Wednesday on an antisemitism bill as pro-Palestinian protests roil colleges throughout the country.

The bill, titled the Antisemitism Awareness Act, would mandate that the Education Department adopt the broad definition of antisemitism used by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, an intergovernmental group, to enforce anti-discrimination laws.

The international group defines antisemitism as a "certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews." The group adds that "rhetorical and physical manifestations" of antisemitism include such things as calling for the killing or harming of Jews or holding Jews collectively responsible for actions taken by the state of Israel.

Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., introduced the bipartisan legislation, which has backing from Democratic moderates who are supporters of Israel amid the country’s war with Hamas.

In a letter Monday to House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., wrote “there is nothing scheduled on the floor this week that would accomplish the concrete, thoughtful strategies outlined by the Biden administration” to combat antisemitism.

Jeffries instead demanded a vote on the bipartisan Countering Antisemitism Act, which aims to address concerns over rising antisemitism through the appointment of a new adviser to the president who would be dedicated to implementing its coordinated strategy to counter antisemitism.

“The effort to crush antisemitism and hatred in any form is not a Democratic or Republican issue,” Jeffries wrote. “It’s an American issue that must be addressed in a bipartisan manner with the fierce urgency of now.”

Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., chair of the Congressional