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The bipartisan Antisemitism Awareness Act (AAA), which would require the U.S. Department of Education and other federal agencies to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism, was reintroduced on Wednesday by Representatives Mike Lawler (R-NY), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Max Miller (R-OH), and Jared Moskowitz (D-FL).
By codifying the IHRA definition, the legislation aims to provide an essential framework for identifying violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act that are motivated by antisemitism and offer the tools necessary to clearly recognize, address, and, more importantly, prevent antisemitic incidents from happening, creating conducive learning and living environments for all students.
“Colleges and universities have repeatedly failed to uphold federal law and protect Jewish students,” Representative Lawler said. “The Antisemitism Awareness Act makes it clear: antisemitism will not be tolerated — on campus or anywhere else.”
A Senate companion version of the AAA is expected to soon be re-introduced by Senators Tim Scott (R-SC) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) as well.
Over the past year and a half, since it was introduced by Representative Lawler in the House of Representatives for the first time in October 2023, the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) has been a leading advocate for the passage of the AAA, communicating closely with and educating key congressional officials and committees about the urgent need for the legislation.
Speaking at a Wednesday press conference on Capitol Hill where the reintroduction of the AAA was officially announced, CAM Board of Governors Member Arie Lipnick highlighted President Donald Trump’s past antisemitism-related executive orders, including the one he issued last week instructing all federal agencies to identify civil and criminal authorities available to combat antisemitism, and thanked the president for his “historic commitment to protecting the Jewish community.”
“CAM supports the president’s all-of-government approach to combating antisemitism. which also extends Title VI rights to Jewish students using the IHRA definition and examples as a tool,” Lipnick said. “And that’s what we’re talking about today — the AAA would codify a vital part of the president’s first executive order [from 2019, during Trump’s first term] on combating antisemitism.”
Noting the across-the-aisle support for the AAA, Lipnick added, “This is how CAM believes our government should be combating antisemitism — the president, executive agencies, and Congress all working together on a bipartisan basis.”
The House of Representatives, under the leadership of Speaker Mike Johnson, passed the AAA by a sweeping 320-91 margin last May, but it was not brought for a Senate vote before the adjournment of the outgoing 118th Congress a month ago, requiring its reintroduction for consideration by the new 119th Congress.
The AAA enjoys widespread backing from mainstream American Jewish communal groups, and supporters, in addition to CAM, include the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, Jewish Federations of North America, Orthodox Union, American Jewish Committee, Zionist Organization of America, Anti-Defamation League, Hadassah, and Christians United for Israel.
