🚨 BREAKING: House Passes Major Measure 237–169 as 33 Democrats Flip, Delivering a Blow to Hakeem Jeffries
The House passed legislation Thursday that would strip federal funding from colleges that participate in boycotts targeting Israel, with 33 Democrats joining Republicans in a 237-169 vote. H.R. 4795, the Protect Economic and Academic Freedom Act of 2026, represents another visible fracture within Democratic ranks over Israel policy. The measure would amend higher-education law to make colleges ineligible for specified federal funding if they engage in certain commercial boycotts of Israel. Thirty-three Democrats broke with their party to support the bill, while 167 Democrats joined two Republicans in opposition.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries voted against the legislation, as did former Speaker Nancy Pelosi and senior Democrat James Clyburn. Republicans Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Warren Davidson of Ohio were the only GOP lawmakers voting no. North Carolina Republican Virginia Foxx sponsored the bill, with New Jersey Democrat Josh Gottheimer serving as its Democratic co-sponsor.
The legislation would require federally supported institutions to certify that students are not “unreasonably obstructed” from participating in academic programs located in Israel. Colleges participating in a “nonexpressive commercial boycott” of Israel could lose access to federal higher-education funding. Supporters framed the measure as protecting Jewish students from discrimination and hostile campus environments.
Democratic Divide Over Israel Policy Deepens
“This is an attack on free speech and academic freedom,” Michigan Democrat Rashida Tlaib said during debate, describing Israel as a “genocidal apartheid state.” Gottheimer argued the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement seeks Israel’s destruction and should have no place on American campuses. “The goal of the BDS movement is the destruction of the democratic State of Israel,” he said, calling Israel “America’s critical ally in the global fight against terror.”
New York Democrat Jerry Nadler opposed the bill despite criticizing BDS, saying supporters retain constitutional protections for political advocacy. “The First Amendment right to free speech does not apply only to agreeable speech,” he said. Progressive Democrats argued the bill improperly converts political disagreement with Israel into grounds for losing federal educational support. Critics contended that punishing boycott participation could suppress political expression protected by the First Amendment and interfere with academic independence.
Thursday’s vote follows a larger Democratic rupture over Israel that erupted in July when the House rejected an amendment to eliminate $3.3 billion in annual American security assistance to Israel. That vote failed 314-104, but 103 Democrats voted to cut the funding. A June Quinnipiac survey found 66% of Democrats believed the United States was too supportive of Israel. The shift follows the Gaza war that began after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing approximately 1,200 people.
Bill Heads to Senate Test
H.R. 4795 now heads to the Senate, where its future will test whether the bipartisan House coalition can hold. For Jeffries, the vote underscored growing difficulty in keeping Democrats united on Israel ahead of elections. This story has been updated. CNN’s political team contributed to this report.