Reps. Dan Goldman and Mike Lawler introduced bipartisan legislation Wednesday aimed at expanding federal security support for Jewish institutions and combatting antisemitism.
The bill, a House companion to Jewish American Security Act in the Senate, would increase Nonprofit Security Grant Program funding to $1 billion, extend funding to Jewish organizations and allow additional funds to be directed towards law enforcement.
It would also mandate that the Department of Education appoint a dedicated antisemitism coordinator and force social media platforms to explain their handling of online antisemitism.
“Jewish communities across the United States are facing a real and growing security crisis, and the federal government has a responsibility to ensure that all Americans can gather, worship, and live openly and safely as who they are,” Eric Fingerhut, the CEO and president of the Jewish Federations of North America, which has promoted the bill, said in a statement.
Goldman, a Jewish New York Democrat, cited the March car-ramming attack on Temple Israel in Detroit, saying in a statement that the attack underscored “how essential security is for every single Jewish institution” and that the government should support those costs.
“We should not have to pay a Jewish tax to be able to go to synagogue, and this will not only increase the funding, but it also expands the range of areas that can be funded by the Nonprofit Security Grant to include, very clearly, security personnel and other types of security that have not currently included and that are now clearly essential,” Goldman said.
Lawler, a New York Republican, said in a statement that houses of worship and nonprofit institutions should be “focused on serving their communities, not worrying about whether they have the resources to protect their members from violence.”
“I can walk into my church without passing a security guard stationed outside,” Lawler, who is Catholic, said. “Jewish Americans don’t have that luxury, and it’s outrageous, and it should anger each and every one of us.”
The bill adds to a growing list of attempts to advance antisemitism legislation in Congress, including the Antisemitism Response and Prevention Act, which was introduced by progressives in the House, and the Antisemitism Awareness Act, which failed to pass despite backing by Jewish groups.
On Wednesday during a press conference in Washington D.C., Lawler and Goldman were joined by a host of Jewish leaders, including representatives from the Anti-Defamation League, Jewish Council for Public Affairs and American Jewish Committee as well as organizations affiliated with the Reform and Orthodox movements.
Amy Spitalnick, the CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, threw her support behind the bill Wednesday, saying in a statement that it is “vital that we invest in whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches that will keep Jewish and all communities safe.”
“Make no mistake: There is no truly inclusive, pluralistic democracy unless antisemitism is addressed and Jews are safe,” Spitalnick said. “So, too, does Jewish safety require protecting the democratic norms and values that have long protected us — and we will continue to reject the false choice we’re too often offered between countering antisemitism and protecting our democracy and our rights.”
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