A House is struggling to pass a bipartisan antisemitism bill because some right-wing lawmakers are concerned that it would stop them from stating the foundational myth of antisemitism.
The Antisemitism Awareness Act passed the House easily in the last congressional session despite bipartisan concerns about how the bill defined antisemitism, but Democrats are wary of supporting the measure as the Trump administration attacks universities and visa holders over alleged antisemitism on campus.
Now some Republicans are expressing other concerns, reported Punchbowl News.
"During a contentious Senate HELP Committee markup on Thursday, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) joined with the panel’s Democrats to adopt a number of amendments that imperiled the bill’s status in the GOP-controlled Senate," the outlet reported. "The most prominent amendment stated that criticism of Israel isn’t antisemitic."
"The issues don’t stop there. Senate HELP Committee Chair Bill Cassidy (R-LA) inserted a manager’s amendment intended to address right-wing Christian concerns that the bill impeded on their free speech to allege Jews killed Jesus," the report added. "But since the markup adjourned last week without a final vote, that amendment hasn’t been adopted yet."
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The deicide myth can be traced to the origins of Christianity and has been used to justify the Holocaust and other miseries inflicted upon Jewish people, although Jewish individuals played no role in Christ's crucifixion.
Cassidy pledged last week to vote again to advance the bill out of committee, but there would not be enough GOP support if Paul continues to side with Democrats.
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), who voted for the previous antisemitism bill, urged Democrats to oppose this legislation, saying it would help President Donald Trump "undermine American democracy" with his attacks on higher education.
Reps. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) said Sunday they would oppose a separate bill introduced by Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) that would penalize international governmental organizations from boycotting Israel, and House GOP leadership removed that bill from this week’s floor schedule.