1. United States
2. Letter

The passage of H.R. 6090, the Antisemitism Awareness Act, is a blatant attack on free speech rights protected by the First Amendment. This bill falsely equates legitimate criticism of the Israeli government's policies with antisemitic discrimination. Considering the horrific number of civilian deaths in Gaza, the timing of this bill is extremely Orwellian. It threatens to censor political speech on college campuses by pressuring institutions to restrict speech critical of Israel or face losing federal funding. This is a clear violation of the Supreme Court's ruling in Healy v. James, which affirmed that constitutional freedoms must be vigorously protected on college campuses. Addressing rising antisemitism is undoubtedly important, but undermining fundamental free speech protections is not the solution. Federal law already prohibits antisemitic discrimination and harassment by federally funded entities, making this bill redundant and unnecessary. Instead of protecting Jewish students, it risks politicizing the enforcement of civil rights laws and chilling open discourse on a complex global issue. I urge you to stand against this dangerous bill that sacrifices cherished First Amendment rights on the altar of misguided political agendas. Robust debate and the free exchange of ideas, even those that challenge government policies, are essential for a healthy democracy. Silencing dissent through legislative overreach sets a disturbing precedent that jeopardizes all Americans' freedoms. Reject this unconstitutional attempt to stifle free speech under the guise of combating antisemitism.