East Idaho Times

U.S. Senator Mike Crapo from Idaho has joined forces with Senators Tim Scott of South Carolina and Jacky Rosen of Nevada to reintroduce the Antisemitism Awareness Act in Congress. The proposed legislation aims to guide the U.S. Department of Education in addressing antisemitic acts on college campuses by using the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) definition of antisemitism.

Senator Crapo highlighted the increasing concerns regarding antisemitic incidents on college campuses, stating, “College campuses across the country have provided fertile ground for antisemitic violence and harassment following increased student demonstrations and statements supporting Hamas’ October 7 attacks.” He emphasized that Jewish students should feel secure and that universities need clear guidelines to prevent antisemitic behavior.

The bill seeks to ensure that the Department of Education can effectively determine when an incident crosses from free speech into unlawful or discriminatory conduct. Crapo, a member of the Senate Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism, previously co-sponsored this bill during the 118th Congress.

The reintroduced legislation has garnered support from a diverse group of senators, including James Lankford, Charles Schumer, Lindsey Graham, Richard Blumenthal, Rick Scott, Maggie Hassan, Susan Collins, Kirsten Gillibrand, Shelley Moore Capito, Ruben Gallego, John Hickenlooper, Katie Britt, Ron Wyden, John Cornyn, Chris Coons, Tom Cotton, Catherine Cortez Masto, John Boozman, Michael Bennet, Pete Ricketts, Maria Cantwell, Chuck Grassley, John Fetterman, Kevin Cramer, Adam Schiff, Cindy Hyde-Smith, Elissa Slotkin, Deb Fischer, Mark Warner, John Barrasso,Gary Peters,Cory Booker,and Steve Daines.