WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Rick Scott joined Senators Bob Casey and Tim Scott to introduce the Antisemitism Awareness Act. The bill will help address antisemitic sentiment and action on college campuses—which has been rising across the nation for years and spiked in the wake of Hamas’ terrorist attack on October 7, 2023—by requiring the U.S. Department of Education to consider the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism when enforcing federal anti-discrimination laws.

Senator Rick Scott said, “Antisemitism is ABSOLUTE hatred, and any college or university that fails to condemn it MUST be held accountable and stripped of all federal funding. Since the October 7^th attack by Iran-backed Hamas terrorists, we must ensure that our Jewish students feel safe from any antisemitic behavior, and it is disgusting how some of the colleges and universities have responded to this evil we have seen spike recently. We can start holding people accountable today by passing legislation like the Antisemitism Awareness Act. Hatred of this kind has no place on college campuses.”

Senator Bob Casey said, “Hamas’ horrific terrorist attack on October 7 led to a dramatic increase in antisemitism on college campuses. Amidst this appalling increase, we must do everything we can to protect Jewish students on college campuses. This bill will make sure that going forward, the Education Department will take action against all forms of antisemitic discrimination.”

Senator Tim Scott said, “Our nation’s institutions of higher learning have become hotbeds of antisemitism, especially in the wake of the brutal attacks against Israel and innocent civilians by Hamas and Iran. It’s critical the Department of Education has the tools and resources it needs to investigate antisemitism and root out this vile hatred wherever it rears its ugly head.”

The Antisemitism Awareness Act would make permanent the Department of Education’s usage of the IHRA’s definition of antisemitism, which is a vital tool helping to clarify and identify the various manifestations of antisemitism. Since 2018, the Department of Education has used the IHRA definition when investigating violations of title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This definition is supported by President Biden’s Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism, was included in President Biden’s National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism, and has been used by the State Department since the Obama Administration. 

In addition to Senators Rick Scott, Bob Casey and Tim Scott, the Antisemitism Awareness Act is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV), James Lankford (R-OK), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), John Boozman (R-AR), Christopher Coons (D-DE), Susan Collins (R-ME), Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Kristen Gillibrand (D-NY), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Josh Hawley (R-MO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Katie Britt (R-AL), John Fetterman (D-PA), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Ben Cardin (D-MD), John Barrasso (R-WY), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), John Cornyn (R-TX), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV).

The Antisemitism Awareness Act builds off of Senator Rick Scott’s resolution condemning antisemitism and embracing the widely-accepted IHRA definition of antisemitism. This resolution reinforces that any hatred toward the Jewish community or delegitimization of the state of Israel is indeed antisemitism and sends a strong message that the full force of the federal government is leading the charge against antisemitism of any kind. This resolution, announced back in June, followed the Biden administration’s decision not to codify this commonly-used and widely-accepted definition in its national strategy to counter antisemitism, and is endorsed by the Republican Jewish Coalition, the Zionist Organization of America and NORPAC.

Read more about Senator Scott’s recent visit to Israel HERE. Read more regarding every action and statement Sen. Scott has done in support of Israel following the October 7th Iran-backed Hamas terrorist attack: https://www.rickscott.senate.gov/israel.

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