House Democrats fractured Thursday again as 33 members joined Republicans to restrict federal funding for colleges participating in anti-Israel boycotts. The House passed H.R. 4795, the Protect Economic and Academic Freedom Act of 2026, by a decisive 237-169 vote. Thirty-three Democrats supported the measure, while 167 Democrats joined two Republicans in opposition to the legislation. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries voted against it, putting him opposite dozens of Democrats willing to confront anti-Israel campus boycotts.
Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi and senior Democrat James Clyburn also opposed the bill, underscoring the party’s increasingly visible Israel divide. Republicans Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Warren Davidson of Ohio were the only GOP lawmakers voting against the measure. North Carolina Republican Virginia Foxx sponsored the legislation, while New Jersey Democrat Josh Gottheimer joined as its Democratic co-sponsor.
The bill would amend higher-education law by attaching major federal-funding consequences to certain institutional commercial boycotts targeting Israel. Covered colleges participating in a “nonexpressive commercial boycott” of Israel could become ineligible for specified federal higher-education funding. Federally supported institutions would also certify that students are not “unreasonably obstructed” from participating in academic programs located in Israel.
Critics counter that punishing boycott participation could chill political expression protected by the First Amendment and interfere with academic independence. 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,” Gottheimer said.
He called Israel “America’s critical ally in the global fight against terror” while defending the legislation against progressive criticism. Gottheimer also highlighted threats, assaults and classroom disruptions affecting Jewish students during bitter campus protests surrounding Israel. Foxx argued university boycott policies have created hostile environments by “marginalizing Jewish students” and discriminating against people of Jewish faith.
“Now is not the time for talk,” Foxx said while demanding congressional action against discriminatory institutional practices. “It is the time for action,” she added, framing federal funding as leverage against universities embracing qualifying boycotts.
Progressive Democrats Issue Harsh Criticism
Progressive Democrats responded furiously, arguing the bill improperly converts political disagreement with Israel into grounds for losing federal educational support. New York Democrat Jerry Nadler said he opposes BDS but believes its supporters retain constitutional protections for political advocacy. “The First Amendment right to free speech does not apply only to agreeable speech,” Nadler said.
Michigan Democrat Rashida Tlaib delivered an even harsher denunciation, accusing lawmakers of suppressing pro-Palestinian activism and defending Israeli policies. “This is an attack on free speech and academic freedom,” Tlaib declared during debate before the final vote. She described Israel as a “genocidal apartheid state,” reflecting the increasingly hostile rhetoric surrounding Israel within progressive Democratic politics.
Supporters rejected that framing, saying the legislation targets institutional commercial discrimination rather than students protesting or expressing political opinions. Thursday’s vote follows an even larger Democratic rupture over Israel that erupted on the House floor in July.
Previous Israel Funding Vote Shows Deep Divide
Massie’s earlier amendment sought to eliminate $3.3 billion in annual American security assistance for Israel. The House rejected that proposal 314-104, but 103 Democrats joined Massie in voting to eliminate the funding. Only 98 Democrats opposed eliminating Israel assistance, while another 10 Democratic lawmakers voted present during that July showdown.
Jeffries opposed the aid-cutting amendment, while Democratic Whip Katherine Clark broke with him and supported eliminating the proposed assistance. A June Quinnipiac survey found 66% of Democrats believed the United States was too supportive of Israel. The shift follows the Gaza war after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing approximately 1,200 people.
Republicans increasingly portray that shift as evidence that the Democratic activist base is moving sharply away from America’s longtime ally. Democrats supporting Israel counter that criticism of its government can coexist with defending Jewish students and maintaining the bilateral alliance. H.R. 4795 now heads to the Senate, where its future will test whether Thursday’s bipartisan House coalition can hold.
For Jeffries, the vote underscored the growing difficulty of keeping Democrats united on Israel ahead of November’s midterm elections.
