House passes bill threatening university funding over Israel boycotts
Experts say measure weaponizes federal funding to suppress protected political expression and shield Israel from campus boycotts
WASHINGTON (MNTV) — The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a Republican-backed bill that would threaten federal funding for colleges and universities that participate in boycotts of Israel, drawing criticism that Congress is using government money to police political expression on university campuses.
The Protect Economic and Academic Freedom Act passed 237-169, with 33 Democrats joining most Republicans. It now heads to the Senate, where its prospects remain uncertain.
The measure would condition access to federal student aid on universities refraining from participating in boycotts of Israel.
Institutions receiving federal funding for study-abroad and language programs would also be required to certify annually that they do not exclude students from programs in Israel or deny participation to Israeli students.
Experts argue the bill conflates discrimination against individuals with political boycotts targeting the policies of a foreign government, potentially allowing Washington to punish universities for engaging in or supporting constitutionally protected political activity.
Republican Education Committee chair Tim Walberg defended the measure, saying taxpayer money should not support institutions that discriminate against Israel or Israeli students.
Democrats opposing the bill questioned both its necessity and its implications for free speech.
Bobby Scott, the committee’s top Democrat, said American universities have not broadly adopted the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement and warned against using federal funding to penalize protected expression.
The legislation comes as universities across the U.S. face growing pressure from students and faculty to divest from companies linked to Israel amid its genocide in Gaza.
Campus protests and divestment campaigns have increasingly become targets of congressional scrutiny, with human rights experts accusing lawmakers of selectively restricting advocacy for Palestinian rights under the banner of combating antisemitism.
The vote also comes amid widening divisions over U.S. support for Israel. In July, more than 100 House Democrats backed efforts to restrict some military assistance over Israel’s conduct in Gaza.
For opponents of the legislation, the central issue extends beyond Israel: whether the federal government should be able to use access to education funding as leverage to deter universities from taking positions on humanitarian issues.
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