A rise in racist incidents nationwide has prompted U.S. Rep. María Elvira Salazar (R-FL) to cosponsor bipartisan legislation that would strengthen federal efforts to counter antisemitism in the United States and protect the Jewish community.
“The alarming rise in antisemitism is a stain on our nation and a threat to the values that define us as Americans,” Rep. Salazar said on Monday. “Jewish Americans deserve to worship freely, raise their families in peace, and feel safe in their communities.”
The congresswoman on June 9 signed on as one of 29 original cosponsors of the Jewish American Security Act, H.R. 9211, which is sponsored by U.S. Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY) to establish a comprehensive six-point security plan designed to protect Jewish Americans, Jewish institutions, and Jewish students while improving coordination across federal, state, and local agencies.
“I am proud to support the bipartisan Jewish American Security Act because it takes meaningful steps to strengthen security for Jewish institutions, protect Jewish students, and confront the spread of antisemitism online,” said Rep. Salazar. “We must stand united against hate and send a clear message: antisemitism has no place in America.”
H.R. 9211 would reauthorize FEMA’S National Security Grant Program at $1 billion through 2031, and authorize $9 billion annually for the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) from fiscal years 2027 through 2031 to bolster state and local law enforcement efforts at religious institutions; respond to the growing rise in religiously motivated hate crimes; and enhance coordination between state and local law enforcement agencies and the DOJ.
The measure also would call on the FBI, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and the National Counterterrorism Center to produce a joint annual domestic threat assessment that reports on antisemitic violent extremism for a 10-year period and provides an overview of violent extremist ideologies.
Among other provisions, the bill would direct the U.S. Department of Education to appoint an antisemitism coordinator, and task large online platforms with at least 50 million monthly U.S. users to submit recurring transparency reports to the Federal Trade Commission, according to a bill summary provided by the lawmakers.
“The shocking and continuing rise of antisemitism in the last few years requires immediate and decisive action,” said Rep. Goldman. “I am proud to introduce the bipartisan, bicameral Jewish American Security Act, which puts into motion a course of action that will greatly improve the safety of Jewish Americans and Jewish institutions.”
Companion legislation is being led by U.S. Sens. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and James Lankford (R-OK) in the Senate.