Press Releases
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) joined Sens. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Tim Scott (R-SC) in introducing the Antisemitism Awareness Act, legislation to address antisemitic sentiment and actions on college campuses.
In the year following the October 7th attack, the Anti-Defamation League reported 1,400 antisemitic incidents on campuses across the nation, all-time high, with 73 percent of Jewish students reporting they had witnessed or experienced some form of antisemitism.
“In the wake of the horrific October 7th terrorist attack perpetrated by Hamas, we have seen growing rates religious discrimination across the country. This legislation aims to address the alarming rise of antisemitism on college campuses, and help investigate these reprehensible acts.” Sen. Warner said.
The Antisemitism Awareness Act would require the Department of Education to take into consideration the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) definition of antisemitism when investigating violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The IHRA definition has been used to clarify and identify the various manifestations of antisemitism. Since 2018, the Department of Education has used the IHRA definition when investigating Title VI violations.
In addition to Sens. Warner, Rosen, and Tim Scott, the Antisemitism Awareness Act is sponsored by U.S. Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), James Lankford (R-OK), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Lindsay Graham (R-SC), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Rick Scott (R-FL), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Susan Collins (R-ME), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), John Barrasso (R-WY), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Chris Coons (D-DE), Katie Britt (R-AL), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), John Cornyn (R-TX), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), John Boozman (R-AR), John Fetterman (D-PA), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Gary Peters (D-MI), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Deb Fischer (R-NE), and Steve Daines (R-MT).
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