House Minority Leader Urges Speaker to Stage Vote on Bipartisan Antisemitism Bill

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) is calling on Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) to schedule a vote on a bipartisan bill aimed at combating antisemitism in the United States. The Countering Antisemitism Act, introduced by a group of House lawmakers and senators, would establish a national coordinator at the White House to advise the president on combating antisemitism and coordinate federal efforts on the matter.

Jeffries emphasized the importance of addressing antisemitism in a bipartisan manner, stating that it is not a Democratic or Republican issue, but an American issue that requires immediate attention. The legislation would also require the FBI, Department of Homeland Security, and National Counterterrorism Center to create a joint threat assessment of antisemitic violent extremism annually and designate May as “Jewish American Heritage Month” in federal law.

The push for this bill comes amidst a surge of pro-Palestine protests on college campuses across the country, some of which have been criticized for taking an antisemitic turn. Jeffries’ call for action follows a report from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) that documented a record number of antisemitic incidents in 2023, coinciding with the Israel-Hamas war.

While the House is set to vote on the Antisemitism Awareness Act this week, which would require the Department of Education to use the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism, Jeffries believes that the Countering Antisemitism Act is the most effective way to address the issue at hand.

The bill has bipartisan support from lawmakers such as Reps. Kathy Manning, Chris Smith, Brian Fitzpatrick, and Randy Weber, as well as Sens. Jacky Rosen and James Lankford. Jeffries is urging Speaker Johnson to prioritize a vote on this critical legislation to combat antisemitism in the United States.