Floor Vote for

Total Yeas: 113

Total Nays: 3

Total Abstained: 0

Total Missed: 4

Total Votes: 116

Vote After Roll Call:

Eskamani -

Moments like this make me wish for a "nuance" button on the House Floor instead of yes/no. As noted by the bill sponsor, the alarming rise in antisemitism necessitates a united condemnation from all corners of the political spectrum. In 2016 the definition that had been drafted for use by monitors of Europe’s Fundamental Rights Agency was adopted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance as a legally non-binding "Working Definition of Antisemitism". This was the first prominent attempt to provide a unifying definition of antisemitism. As advocates began to ask governments to “adopt” the definition into policy, many experts, scholars, Jewish leaders and civil rights organizations raised concerns. Imprecision that might have been acceptable in the context of data collection or training would be problematic in the context of punitive action. ADL National has noted the value of the IHRA definition as an educational guide and emphasizes that it is not legally binding and must be used in a careful and appropriate manner. Amendments for this bill in the Senate are coming to help address stakeholder concerns, but in the interim, to respect feedback from Jewish scholars and Free Speech advocates, I have to be a no vote today.