Washington D.C. – U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Ala.) has joined Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and several of their colleagues in introducing the Stop Antisemitism on College Campuses Act. The proposed legislation aims to revoke federal funding from colleges and universities that encourage antisemitism or facilitate antisemitic events on campus.
This legislative push comes in the wake of a recent decision by the Department of Justice, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Education, and the General Services Administration to cancel approximately $400 million in federal grants and contracts to Columbia University. The action was taken due to what officials described as the school’s failure to address ongoing harassment of Jewish students.
“Any American educational institution authorizing, facilitating, or otherwise supporting pro-terrorism activities should lose every cent of federal funding and subsidization,” said Senator Britt. “I’m proud to join my colleagues in strengthening the Trump Administration’s efforts to ensure Jewish students across our country are safe and secure on college campuses. We must continue to send a resounding message that antisemitism has no place in America.”
Senator Scott echoed these sentiments, emphasizing that federal funding should not support institutions that allow hate to thrive. “The intention of taxpayer dollars for universities is to educate students, not promote and foster hate. We’ve witnessed campuses across our nation turn into cesspools for anti-Jewish, anti-Israel activists,” he stated. “Let’s make one thing clear: federal funding is a privilege and not a right. Rooting out hate wherever it rears its ugly head will always be in fashion. I remain dedicated to defending the rights of Jewish students to attend class peacefully.”
The House version of the bill was introduced by Congressman Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.), further expanding the bipartisan initiative to address concerns regarding antisemitism in higher education.
Senator Britt has been an outspoken advocate for the Jewish community and a strong supporter of Israel. She recently traveled to the region with a bipartisan group of Senate colleagues to reaffirm the United States’ commitment to Israel in the aftermath of the October 7 attacks.
In addition to the Stop Antisemitism on College Campuses Act, Senator Britt has also reintroduced the Antisemitism Awareness Act. This bill directs the Department of Education to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism when evaluating incidents on college campuses. “Now more than ever, we must send a resounding message that antisemitism has no place in America—we must stand with our Jewish brothers and sisters across our country, and abroad,” Britt stated regarding the legislation.
During the 118th Congress, Senator Britt cosponsored both the Antisemitism Awareness Act and the Stop Antisemitism on College Campuses Act, reinforcing her commitment to combatting antisemitism.
In November 2024, amid rising concerns over antisemitism on college campuses, Senator Britt wrote an open letter to Jewish college students expressing her support and condemning institutions that have failed to take action against antisemitic incidents. “I want to make clear to each and every Jewish student on an American campus: I and my colleagues won’t stand for this. While your administrators may not have your backs, we do. And we always will,” she wrote.
The proposed legislation is part of a broader effort to address concerns over campus safety and the treatment of Jewish students in higher education institutions. The bill now awaits further discussion in the Senate.
