The recent antisemitic protests in support of Palestine across American college campuses have been roundly condemned by many members of Congress, prompting the passage of the Antisemitism Awareness Act of 2023 (H.R. 6090). However, some Republicans have called the bill potentially unconstitutional and trampled free speech rights, including Representative Andy Biggs (R-AZ), who stated after its passage that it was "the D.C. Cartel's latest attack on the Constitution."
Rep. Biggs clarified that he opposes the protests and antisemitism in general, saying, "The pro-Hamas, pro-genocide, anti-Israel events happening across the nation are sickening and should be condemned in the strongest fashion."
The issue, however, is the wording of H.R. 6090, which he called "little more than an effort to score political points and is so poorly drafted that it violates the Constitution and could have serious ramifications for the Christian community."
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For context, some conservatives claim the bill renders portions of the New Testament "illegal," namely the idea that Jews bear sole responsibility for the Crucifixion of Christ, as Newsweek described.
Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), for instance, was quoted as saying, "Antisemitism is wrong, but I will not be voting for the Antisemitism Awareness Act of 2023 (H.R. 6090) today that could convict Christians of antisemitism for believing the Gospel that says Jesus was handed over to Herod to be crucified by the Jews."
On the other hand, the Jewish News Syndicate suggested this was not the case, as "it does not criminalize the Bible. The IHRA definition states that comparing Israel's fight against Islamic terrorism to Jews killing Jesus is not a political criticism, it's antisemitism."
Rep. Biggs continued, "For a matter as serious as this, the House should have considered the bill through regular order where those concerns could have been considered and alleviated."
"The passage of H.R. 6090 is the D.C. Cartel's latest attack on the Constitution. We must quickly right the ship before the Uniparty tramples the Constitution once and for all," Biggs concluded.
The Jewish News Syndicate, however, suggested the bill would not survive the Senate.
