DeGette Releases Statement on H.R. 6090

WASHINGTON D.C. - Today, Congresswoman Diana DeGette (CO-01) released the following statement after voting against H.R. 6090.

"As I said back in November when a nearly identical bill to H.R. 6090 was considered, free speech is a bedrock American value. It is critical that it be protected - even when what's being said is abhorrent. Freedom of speech does not, however, extend to the very real threats and intimidation against Jewish students that we have seen in colleges and universities across the United States. Antisemitism and hatred of any kind have no place in our country.

"The bill brought by House Republicans today is their third misguided attempt to penalize colleges and universities with whom they disagree. H.R. 6090 would remove federal funding from educational institutions that do not adopt a narrow definition of antisemitism that is not universally agreed upon.

"As college campuses are working to balance their students' right to free speech and their safety, this bill misses the mark. Stripping critical funding from colleges and universities does not make students safer.

"The way this bill is written further inflames the tensions we are seeing on campuses across our country and is an unserious attempt to address antisemitism. Federal law already prohibits entities that receive federal funding from antisemitic discrimination, and this bill could lead to a false equivalency between criticizing the Israeli government and antisemitism.

"I remain committed to working with my colleagues to pass meaningful, bipartisan legislation that counters this hate, which is why I am a cosponsor of the Countering Antisemitism Act. This bill is bipartisan, bicameral, and would help foster an environment of safety and respect in all our education institutions and beyond."