Colleges and universities that allow events promoting antisemitism could lose federal funding under a bill reintroduced in both chambers of Congress this week.

The Stop Antisemitism on College Campuses Act, sponsored by Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.), would bar federally funded institutions from authorizing, facilitating, funding, or otherwise supporting events that promote antisemitism, as defined by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA).

“The intention of taxpayer dollars for universities is to educate students, not promote and foster hate,” Scott said in a statement. “Let’s make one thing clear: federal funding is a privilege and not a right.”

Originally introduced in the 118th Congress, the legislation comes in the wake of widespread antisemitic incidents on college campuses following the October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel. Columbia University, a flashpoint for anti-Israel protests, recently saw $400 million in federal funds cut off by the Trump administration over such concerns. Jewish students reported being spat on and subjected to antisemitic slurs, according to the Anti-Defamation League.

The bill has gained momentum as the Trump administration announced plans to audit $9 billion in federal grants and contracts to Harvard University and paused $210 million in funding to Princeton University, both of which are under scrutiny for handling antisemitism-related incidents.

Sen. Katie Britt, one of the bill’s co-sponsors, voiced strong support. “Any American educational institution authorizing, facilitating, or otherwise supporting pro-terrorism activities should lose every cent of federal funding and subsidization,” she said. “We must continue to send a resounding message that antisemitism has no place in America.”

In total, five Republican senators, 10 House Republicans, and Rep. Tom Suozzi have joined as original co-sponsors of the bill.

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