US House Passes Bipartisan Bill Barring Federal Funds to Universities That Boycott Israel

The US House of Representatives has passed legislation that would strip federal funding from universities found to be participating in boycotts of Israel, in a vote that drew support from both sides of the aisle even as it exposed sharp disagreements over free speech on campus.

The bill, known as the Protect Economic and Academic Freedom Act, passed by a vote of 237 to 169. The tally included 203 Republicans and 33 Democrats voting in favor, along with one independent, while the bulk of opposition came from Democrats concerned about the bill's implications for academic freedom and protest rights. The measure now heads to the Senate, where its prospects remain less certain given the chamber's rules and the narrower margins typically required to advance controversial legislation.

What the bill does

The legislation would condition federal funding for colleges and universities on those institutions not engaging in or endorsing boycotts of Israel, a category that supporters say includes formal divestment campaigns and academic boycotts targeting Israeli institutions. Backers argue the bill is a necessary response to a wave of campus activism in recent years that has, in some cases, included calls for universities to cut ties with Israeli academic partners or divest endowment holdings connected to Israeli companies.

Sponsors and opposition

The bill was led by Representatives Virginia Foxx, a Republican from North Carolina, and Josh Gottheimer, a Democrat from New Jersey, whose joint sponsorship was central to building the bipartisan coalition that ultimately passed it. Their pairing reflects a broader pattern in Washington where opposition to campus boycotts of Israel has found support among both pro-Israel Republicans and centrist Democrats.

Not all Democrats were on board. Representative Bobby Scott of Virginia was among the most vocal opponents, arguing on the floor that the bill risks violating the First Amendment by conditioning federal money on institutions' political speech and associational choices. Civil liberties groups have raised similar concerns, warning that tying funding to an institution's stance on a foreign policy issue could chill legitimate academic debate and protest activity, even when that activity falls short of discriminatory conduct.

The broader context

The vote comes amid continued friction over how American universities have responded to pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel activism since the escalation of conflict in the Middle East. Congress has repeatedly weighed in on campus policy in recent years, from hearings grilling university presidents over allegations of antisemitism to funding fights tied to how institutions handle protests and encampments. This bill represents one of the more direct legislative attempts yet to use the federal funding lever specifically against boycott activity, rather than addressing campus conduct more broadly.

What happens next

With the bill now in the Senate's hands, its fate is uncertain. Senate Democrats who share Scott's First Amendment concerns could slow or block the measure, and any Senate version would likely need to be reconciled with the House text before reaching the president's desk. Universities, meanwhile, are watching closely, since even the threat of losing federal research and student-aid funding could reshape how institutions approach boycott-related activism on campus regardless of whether the bill ultimately becomes law.

This is an original summary based on public reporting. See our editorial policy for how we source, write, and correct our stories.