Full Breakdown
Bipartisan Congressional Caucus Targets Campus Antisemitism
9/10/2026, 1:14:50 AM
Launch of the Combating Antisemitism on College Campuses Caucus
On September 8, 2026, Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) and Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (NY-21) announced the formation of a new bipartisan caucus at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. The caucus will serve as a forum for members of Congress to coordinate oversight of how colleges and universities respond to antisemitism, press institutions to enforce anti-harassment policies, and track related federal legislation.
Surge in Antisemitic Incidents on U.S. Campuses
The Anti-Defamation League reports that antisemitic incidents on American campuses rose more than 300 percent in 2023 following the Hamas attack in October 2023, and well over a thousand incidents were logged in the year after that event. The organization notes that the majority of Jewish students say they have personally witnessed or experienced antisemitism since the attack.
Legislative Focus and Prior Bills
The caucus will advance and monitor several bills, including the Antisemitism Awareness Act, the HEAL Act (Holocaust Education and Antisemitism Lessons Act), and the Protect Economic and Academic Freedom Act. The latter, which restricts federal student aid to colleges that engage in commercial BDS boycotts of Israel, cleared the House 237–169 on September 3 and now proceeds to the Senate. Gottheimer previously authored the Antisemitism Awareness Act, which directed the Department of Education to apply the IHRA definition of antisemitism; that measure passed the House 320–91 in the prior Congress.
Official Statements & Responses
Gottheimer emphasized that Jewish students have faced harassment and intimidation on many campuses since the October 2023 Hamas attack, arguing that the caucus will hold universities accountable and highlight institutions that are “getting it right.” Stefanik described her long-standing leadership on combating antisemitism and anti-Americanism in higher education, noting the caucus as a bipartisan effort to protect Jewish students, faculty, and staff while preserving free expression.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Since October 7th, Jewish students on too many campuses have been harassed, intimidated, and made to feel like strangers in their own school,” — Josh Gottheimer
- “From asking questions at the most watched hearing in Congressional history with university presidents that led to an earthquake in higher education to passing key legislation, I have been proud to be the leader in Congress on combatting antisemitism and anti-Americanism at our colleges and universities,” — Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, the author of the book "Poisoned Ivies,"
