Proposed legislation that would cut off certain federal funding to higher education institutions that participate in economic or academic boycotts of Israel passed the US House of Representatives on Thursday.
The Protect Economic and Academic Freedom Act passed 237-169 and now requires Senate approval to become law. The House Education Committee approved the legislation in June.
This measure would amend the Higher Education Act of 1965, making eligibility for certain public funds conditional on universities refraining from “participating in a nonexpressive commercial boycott of Israel.”
Colleges and universities receiving the funds would also be required to “certify that students are not unreasonably obstructed from participating in academic programs in Israel.”
Education Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx, a Republican, said the legislation was intended to counter the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement and academic boycotts targeting Israel.
Foxx said, “The bipartisan legislation makes clear that tangible campaigns of antisemitism in the form of boycotts have no place in any aspect of civil society.”
She said the measure “takes a strong stand against the BDS movement on college campuses across the nation.”
“This legislation has true teeth and completely severs any possible taxpayer support of these concrete campaigns of antisemitism in the form of BDS and academic boycotts of Israel,” Foxx added.
Thursday’s vote largely divided lawmakers along party lines. Two Republicans voted against the legislation, while 33 Democrats supported it.
US Rep. Jerrold Nadler, a New York Democrat, opposed the measure despite saying he was against the global BDS movement.
In a statement released before the vote, Nadler said he would vote against the legislation because of concerns about protecting Americans’ right to free expression.
“It is the only way to ensure speech I do agree with is equally protected,” Nadler said.
Although the legislation targets financial or economic boycotts, it doesn’t prohibit demonstrations or sanction speech.
