The US House of Representatives has passed legislation that would block federal aid for universities participating in boycotts of Israel, in the latest Republican-backed measure responding to growing campus activism over the war in Gaza. The Republican-majority chamber voted 237-169 in favour of the "Protect Economic and Academic Freedom Act," which now moves to the Senate for consideration. The bill comes as Israeli attacks have killed more than 73,000 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023, according to the Gaza health ministry, with the conflict sparking widespread protests and calls for boycotts at US campuses.
What the Bill Would Require of Universities
The legislation, co-sponsored by North Carolina Republican Virginia Foxx and New Jersey Democrat Josh Gottheimer, would amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to prohibit institutions that participate in federal student aid programmes from engaging in what it defines as a "nonexpressive commercial boycott" of Israel. This includes commercial actions intended to limit business relations with Israel or Israeli entities that lack a valid business reason.
Additionally, universities receiving federal funding for international study and foreign language programmes would be required to certify annually that they do not restrict students from participating in academic programmes in Israel, and that Israeli students and faculty are permitted to participate in their programmes on the same terms as those from other countries.
Democratic Divisions Over Gaza
Thursday's vote was largely along party lines, with just two Republicans voting against and 33 Democrats breaking with their party to support the measure. Among the prominent Democrats who opposed the bill were Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Representative Jerrold Nadler of New York. Nadler, who described the BDS movement as "strategically stupid and morally repugnant," said he would vote no because he supported Americans' right to free expression.
"It is the only way to ensure speech I do agree with is equally protected," he stated. The vote reflects a deepening crisis within the Democratic Party, as a Gallup poll from February showed that 65 percent of Democrats sympathise more with Palestinians compared to only 17 percent who sympathise more with Israelis.
No University Has Formally Adopted BDS
Critics of the legislation have pointed out that no US college or university has formally embraced the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, making the bill a solution in search of a problem. Bobby Scott, the ranking Democrat on the House education committee, argued that the bill was unnecessary and could violate First Amendment protections. "We should combat antisemitism wherever it occurs, but we should not do so by punishing protected speech or conflating a student's view with university policies," he said.
Opponents have also raised concerns about a potential "chilling effect" that could push universities to avoid legitimate political activities for fear of losing funding. The bill's sponsors, however, maintain that it is narrowly tailored to combat discrimination. "It simply says that if your university takes federal taxpayer dollars, it can't discriminate against academic partnerships or investments with one country," Gottheimer said.
What Is at Stake for American Universities
If the bill becomes law, any institution participating in federal student aid programmes could lose access to those funds if found to be engaging in a commercial boycott of Israel. Given that nearly all American universities participate in federal student aid, the legislation would effectively make it impossible for any college to adopt BDS without risking its financial viability. The Trump administration has already targeted Harvard University and Columbia University with federal research grant freezes over campus protests, with legal battles ongoing.
For Palestinian rights advocates on campus, the bill represents a direct attack on political speech and academic freedom, punishing institutions not for discrimination but for solidarity with a people enduring what many scholars have described as a genocidal war. The legislation now awaits Senate action.