The U.S. House voted Wednesday to define antisemitism for the purpose of enforcing antidiscrimination laws, “and for other purposes.”
The new bill has drawn significant backlash from many conservatives, who have complained that it is a violation of First Amendment rights, and have taken issue with certain clauses in the definition of antisemitism.
“Yet again today on the floor of the House of Representatives we had another show vote to make people feel good about themselves by passing a bill that says antisemitism in the title. That’s what happened, and it was put on the floor by Republican leadership,” said Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) speaking on the House floor. “You are empowering that which should never be empowered, the ability of government to police thought, to police speech, to police your views.”
The bill includes language claiming it should not be interpreted to violate the First Amendment, but opponents remained concerned that much of the other language in the bill would serve to restrict speech by classifying it as discrimination.
Republican opponents expressed concern over the “contemporary examples of antisemitism” included in the bill, provided by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA).
One example counts any language claiming that Jesus was killed by Jews as antisemitic and discriminatory speech, which has led many Christians to fear that parts of the Bible will be considered “hate speech,” leading to a violation of both freedom of speech and religion.
“Antisemitism is wrong, but this legislation is written without regard for the Constitution, common sense, or even the common understanding of the meaning of words. The Gospel itself would meet the definition of antisemitism under the terms of this bill,” said Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Florida) on X, “The Bible is clear. There is no myth or controversy on this.”
Charlie Kirk, prominent conservative and founder of the non-profit Turning Point USA, took to X to express a similar concern.
“Did the House of Representatives just make parts of the Bible illegal,” said Kirk on X.
Others have raised concerns that the new bill labels criticism of foreign governments as discrimination.
According to the examples provided by IHRA and codified by the bill, numerous criticisms of the Israeli government, a foreign entity, are considered antisemitic discrimination.
These include holding the Israeli government to a “double standard,” comparing Israeli policy to Nazi policy, or claiming that the state of Israel is a racist endeavor.
“The vast majority of Republicans just voted for a bill to criminalize criticisms of the Israeli government. If the bill passes you will be guilty of hate speech if you “apply double standards” to the government of Israel or accuse it of genocide. This is honestly one of the most insane pieces of legislation I’ve ever seen,” said Conservative commentator Matt Walsh on X.
Conservative commentator and author Christophe Rufo compared the new bill championed by Republican leadership to the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion policies championed by far-left Democrats which aim to give myriad benefits to people based on their race.
“The Antisemitism Awareness Act operates on the same principles as DEI, creating special protections on the basis of ethno-religious identity and using civil rights law to restrict “harmful” speech. There is a better way: punish those who commit violence in a colorblind manner,” said Rufo on X.
[Note: The referenced post has since been deleted by Rufo]
Rufo joined Rep. Roy and others in calling for the prosecution of those who commit crimes and violence against minorities without policing their speech or thoughts.
It is unclear how far enforcement of the law, which is meant, in part, to apply to “education programs” in Federally funded institutions will be enforced.
It is possible that the bill could be used to censor theology classes that reference the Biblical passages that explicitly mention Jews conspiring for the death of Jesus.
The “other purposes” for which the bill defines antisemitism remains unclear.
The “Antisemitism Awareness Act,” H.R. 6090, came in response to the surge of pro-Palestine protests ravaging college campuses across the country.
It was brought forward by Republican leadership, who did not allow it to go to committee before the vote, thus preventing anyone concerned with its language from offering amendments.
Despite opposition from some Republicans, the bill passed with overwhelming support in a 320-91 vote.
The bill was opposed by 70 Democrats and only 21 Republicans, marking an unusual agreement between far-left Democrats who have historically opposed Israel, and the “America First” wing of the Republican Party which has opposed foreign aid and restrictions to freedoms such as the First Amendment.
Maine’s representatives were split on the issue, with Rep. Chellie Pingree, who has been vocal in her opposition to Israel, voting against the bill and Rep. Jared Golden, who has been more sympathetic to sending aid to Israel, voting in favor.
The bill must now pass through the Senate before ultimately taking effect.
