Yakym, Scholten Call on Colleagues to Pass the ‘PROTECT Jewish Students and Faculty Act’

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Rudy Yakym (IN-02) and Congresswoman Hillary Scholten (MI-03) called on their House colleagues to pass H.R. 7478, the PROTECT Jewish Students and Faculty Act. This bipartisan legislation requires U.S. colleges and universities to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) official working definition of antisemitism in student and faculty codes of conduct as a condition of receiving Title IV federal funds for financial aid. 

Reps. Yakym and Scholten’s call comes after violent antisemitic protests erupted at Ivy League universities this past weekend. 

“Once again, we witnessed antisemitism rear its ugly head on college campuses, and once again we saw that university administrators lacked a clear and comprehensive definition for how to combat it,” said Rep. Yakym. “Intimidation tactics and calls for violence being directed at Jewish students and faculty clearly cross the line of what is acceptable behavior. If these colleges are unwilling to adopt clearly defined ways of disciplining antisemitic harassment, then there is a price they are going to pay. U.S. institutions of higher learning need to be doing everything in their power to fight– not fuel– antisemitism, and this bipartisan legislation provides powerful new incentives for them to do so.” 

“Navigating the rise in protests on college and university campuses without clear guidance on what does and does not cross the line to antisemitism has put Jewish students at risk, and also has the potential to jeopardize legitimate free speech,” said Rep. Scholten. “Students have a right to peacefully protest, but hateful antisemitism will not be tolerated. We’re stepping in to protect these students and faculty and ensure that our colleges and universities can again become safe spaces of learning and free expression for all.”

H.R. 7478 can be accessed HERE, and Townhall’s coverage of the bill can be found HERE.