Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) joined Senators Bob Casey (D-Pa.) and Tim Scott (R-S.C.) in introducing the Antisemitism Awareness Act. The bill will help address antisemitic sentiment and action on college campuses—which has been rising across the nation for years and spiked in the wake of Hamas’ terrorist attack on October 7, 2023—by requiring the U.S. Department of Education to consider the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism when enforcing federal anti-discrimination laws.
“We’ve seen a dramatic increase in antisemitism on college campuses across the nation, and we must do more to protect our students,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “Our schools should be places where all students feel safe and this legislation will make sure the Education Department has the support and resources it needs to address all forms of antisemitic discrimination.”
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 helping 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. This definition is supported by President Biden’s Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism, was included in President Biden’s National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism, and has been used by the State Department since the Obama Administration.
Following Hamas’s terror attack on Israel, Senator Cortez Masto has pushed for additional federal funding to ensure Israel can defend itself and called on President Biden to do everything in his power to rescue American hostages. She has pushed for an immediate crackdown on the financing of international terrorist organizations, including Hezbollah and Hamas, and has supported the administration’s efforts to deliver significantly more humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians.
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