April 16, 2024

Manchin, Bipartisan Colleagues Introduce Antisemitism Awareness Act

Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) joined his bipartisan colleagues in introducing the Antisemitism Awareness Act. This legislation would help combat antisemitic sentiment and action on college campuses, which has been rising across the U.S. for years and spiked in the wake of Hamas’ terrorist attack on October 7, 2023. It would require the U.S. Department of Education to consider the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism when enforcing federal anti-discrimination laws.

“The horrifying attack we saw on Israel in October has led to an appalling amount of antisemitic activity on college campuses,” said Senator Manchin. “I’m proud to introduce the bipartisan Antisemitism Awareness Act to not only help combat this disturbing trend, but also prioritize the safety and wellbeing of Jewish students across our country. I encourage my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this important legislation.”

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 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. According to recent reporting by the Anti-Defamation League, antisemitic incidents in the U.S. more than doubled in 2023 with 8,873 cases of assault, harassment and vandalism across the country.

In addition to Senator Manchin, the legislation is cosponsored by Senators Bob Casey (D-PA), Tim Scott (R-SC), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), James Lankford (R-OK), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Rick Scott (R-FL), 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), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), John Cornyn (R-TX), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV).