Chavez-DeRemer backs House-passed bill to protect Jewish students, decries ‘antisemitic protests,’ including PSU’s

WASHINGTON (KTVZ) --The House of Representatives on Wednesday passed the bipartisan Antisemitism Awareness Act (H.R. 6090), which would help ensure antisemitic hate crimes on college campuses are properly investigated and prosecuted, with Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer in support.

Here's the news release her office issued after her vote:

DeRemer (OR-05), who has been an outspoken advocate for Jewish students as a member of the Education and the Workforce Committee, voted in favor of the proposal. The vote comes as protesters forced Portland State University to close its campus yesterday and today after trespassing, destroying property, and engaging in other unlawful activity. 

“In the wake of Hamas’ brutal attack on Israel on October 7, it’s been disturbing to watch antisemitic protests erupt on college campuses across the country – now including PSU’s campus. I stand firmly with Jewish students and will continue to hold administrators accountable if they enable this discrimination and intimidation. Additionally, I urge authorities to ensure those engaging in criminal activity are punished to the fullest extent of the law. While I’ll always support free speech, resorting to violence and lawlessness is never the answer.

“Students should not have to fear for their safety based on their ethnicity or the religion they practice. The Antisemitism Awareness Act will ensure colleges and universities are thoroughly addressing harassment, intimidation, and other acts of hostility to keep Jewish students safe,” Chavez-DeRemer said. 

The Antisemitism Awareness Act will require the Department of Education to use the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) definition of antisemitism when enforcing federal anti-discrimination laws. Usage of the IHRA definition is a key step in rooting out antisemitism and ensuring antisemitic hate crimes on college campuses are properly investigated and prosecuted.

Full text of the bill is available HERE.

Chavez-DeRemer is also a cosponsor of the Stop Antisemitism on College Campuses Act, which would revoke federal funds for colleges and universities that peddle antisemitism or facilitate events that promote antisemitism in any way.

Recently, Chavez-DeRemer condemned Columbia’s failure to fire a professor with a history of antisemitic behavior. She has spoken directly to Jewish college students experiencing discrimination and called out prestigious universities’ lack of Jewish history course offerings.