33 Democrats Vote to Withhold Funding From Universities That Boycott Israel
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The House voted on Thursday to pass a bipartisan bill that would cut off federal funding for universities that participate in a boycott of Israel, with dozens of Democrats in favor.
The bill passed 237 to 169, with almost all Republicans and 33 Democrats voting in favor. Democrats who voted “yes” included some of the most vocally pro-Israel and conservative lawmakers in the caucus. It now goes to the Senate for consideration.
Further, Democrats were complicit in allowing the vote to go forth to begin with. On Tuesday, Representatives Jared Golden (Maine) and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (Washington), both Democrats, surprised caucus leaders when they voted for the GOP’s rule to allow the consideration of several pieces of legislation to go forth — a highly unusual move that delivered House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) the votes he needed to advance the rule.
This included votes on the anti-boycott bill as well as a resolution calling for the passage of Republicans’ voter suppression legislation and condemning the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and socialism “in all its forms.” That resolution passed with 8 Democrats in favor. Golden and Perez voted for both.
The anti-boycott legislation, called the Protect Economic and Academic Freedom Act, would amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to prohibit institutions of higher education from ending or even taking steps to limit commercial relations with Israel that aren’t “based on a valid business........
