Thirty-three House Democrats broke with their party Thursday to help Republicans pass a bill targeting colleges that boycott Israel.
The Protect Economic and Academic Freedom Act of 2026 passed the House on September 3rd by a vote of 237 to 169. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and most Democrats voted against it. The bill now heads to the Senate.
The legislation would strip certain federal student aid from colleges and universities that engage in what the bill defines as a “non-expressive commercial boycott” of Israel. Schools receiving federal funding for international education programs would also be required to certify that students are not being unreasonably blocked from participating in academic programs in Israel. The bill targets institutional commercial and academic boycotts, not individual student protests or classroom speech.
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As originally reported, the vote exposed deep Democratic divisions over Israel just two months before the midterm elections. Jeffries joined 167 fellow Democrats in opposing the measure. Republicans contributed 203 votes in support. The only GOP members to vote against it were Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie and Ohio Rep. Warren Davidson. One independent voted in favor.
Democratic opponents argued the bill could threaten constitutionally protected speech, even among those who personally oppose the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. New York Rep. Jerry Nadler put it plainly: “The First Amendment right to free speech does not apply only to agreeable speech.” Nadler called the BDS movement both strategically foolish and morally objectionable, but argued that offensive political activity still deserves legal protection.
The vote made one thing clear. The Democratic coalition on Israel policy is fractured, and with midterms approaching, that fracture is now on the public record.
