In a significant House vote, H.Res. 798 condemning antisemitism on college campuses gained overwhelming support, passing 396-23. Notably, the nays consisted of 22 Democrats and one Republican, Rep. Thomas Massie, who opposed it. Massie, expressing concerns about free speech protection and the definition of antisemitism, explained his opposition on social media.
“Free speech means protecting speech you don’t like, not just speech you do like. Also, who defines antisemitism?” Massie wrote in a post on X.
I’m No on H. Res. 798
Free speech means protecting speech you don’t like, not just speech you do like.
Also, who defines antisemitism?
AIPAC made a ridiculous claim that the tweet below, against foreign aid to Israel, was antisemitic. pic.twitter.com/F0xSiANAqF
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) November 2, 2023
The dissenting group included high-profile figures such as the majority of the ‘Squad’ members, known for their progressive stance. The resolution aimed to address the escalating antisemitism seen at colleges, especially following the Israel-Hamas conflict.
In response to this trend, the Biden administration announced its plans to collaborate with campus law enforcement, highlighting the issue and working to combat the surge in antisemitic incidents on educational grounds, emphasizing the need to safeguard Jewish communities.
The 22 Democrats who voted against the motion, according to Fox News Digital, are: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., Summer Lee, D-Pa., Jim McGovern, D-Mass., Delia Ramirez, D-Ill., Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., Nydia Velázquez, D-N.Y., Maxine Waters, D-Calif., Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-N.J., Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., Lauren Underwood, D-Ill., Mark Takano, D-Calif., Jared Huffman, D-Calif., Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., Jesus Garcia, D-Ill., Jonathan Jackson, D-Ill., Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., André Carson, D-Ind., Cori Bush, D-Mo., Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., and Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore.
The White House has noted that antisemitism is rising, and is “closely monitoring” the situation at schools like Cornell.
"What is [Biden's] level of concern right now about a potential rise of antisemitism?"
KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: "Muslims and those perceived to be Muslim have endured a disproportionate number of hate-fueled attacks" pic.twitter.com/q1WYkpbKmn
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) October 23, 2023
“To the students at Cornell, and on campuses across the country, we’re tracking these threats closely,” she said after reports of threats being made to Jewish students. “We’re thinking of you and we’re going to do everything we can on both at Cornell and across the country to counter … antisemitism,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said at a press briefing Monday afternoon.
KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: "[Biden] ran on this, as you all know, to restore the soul of this nation, to make sure that no hate sees the light of day"
REMINDER: Biden has done nothing to address the dramatic surge in antisemitism across the country. pic.twitter.com/Cfdd6bNoUw
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) November 2, 2023
