House Passes Anti-Semitism Bill Amid Campus Unrest

The bill will establish ‘that if you are engaged in rhetoric and behavior that is anti-Semitic, there’s going to be consequences,’ says GOP Rep. Mike Lawler.

Pro-Palestinian protesters gather outside Fordham's Lincoln Center campus after a group created an encampment inside the building in New York City on May 1, 2024. Spencer Platt/Getty Images

The House on May 1 passed an anti-Semitism bill as pro-Palestinian protests escalated on college campuses across the country.

The legislation passed the lower chamber in a broadly bipartisan 320–91 vote. That included 21 Republicans and 70 Democrats who opposed the legislation, many of whom expressed concerns about a potential chilling effect that the bill could have on free speech.