{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/lankford-rosen-introduce-comprehensive-bipartisan-bill-to-fight-antisemitism-2/", "Lankford,\u00a0Rosen Introduce Comprehensive Bipartisan Bill to Fight Antisemitism", "2026-05-19", "2026", "2026-05", "Republican", "Senate", "OK", "James Lankford", "L000575", "www.lankford.senate.gov", "lankford", "https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "page_html", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2014 Today, US Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV), co-founders and co-chairs of the Senate Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism, introduced the Jewish American Security Act, a comprehensive bill to strengthen federal efforts to fight antisemitism \u2013 including in US academic settings, at Jewish communal institutions, and online. The bipartisan legislation would require the Department of Education to develop and implement a comprehensive Title VI framework to combat antisemitism on college campuses, make available additional funding for security resources for at-risk houses of worship and other nonprofit institutions, and hold large social media platforms accountable by requiring transparency regarding their handling of antisemitic content online.\n\n\u201cSince October 7th, Jews in America have faced an unprecedented surge in antisemitism. These are not just numbers, these are real stories impacting real people,\u201d said Lankford. \u201cJewish students being targeted on campuses. Synagogues being vandalized. People being attacked in the streets simply because of their faith and heritage. That is not who we are as a nation, and we unequivocally condemn antisemitism in all its forms. Every American deserves to live their faith freely. That is worth fighting for.\u201d\n\n\u201cOur nation is facing an epidemic of antisemitism \u2013 year after year we are seeing unprecedented levels of antisemitic violence and harassment. Jewish Americans are being targeted, attacked, and killed simply because of who they are. This alarming trend demands a comprehensive, bipartisan approach that addresses both the seeds and the impacts of this vile hatred,\u201d said Rosen. \u201cFrom social media to college campuses, we\u2019ve seen how this bigotry manifests into real-world violence against Jews. That\u2019s why we must take concrete steps to understand the extent of antisemitism \u2013 both online and offline \u2013 and ensure that Jewish communities have access to robust security resources and government protections. I\u2019m proud to introduce the Jewish American Security Act with Senator Lankford to strengthen efforts to fight antisemitism at the federal level and keep Jewish Americans safe.\u201d\n\nYou can find the full text of the legislation HERE.\n\nBackground\n\nThis legislation is supported by the American Jewish Committee, ADL, Jewish Council for Public Affairs, Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America (\u201cOrthodox Union\u201d), Jewish Federations of North America, Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations, Secure Community Network, The Rabbinical Assembly, Hadassah, The Women\u2019s Zionist Organization of America, Jewish Women International, Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism (USCJ), the Blue Square Alliance Against Hate, JCC Association of North America, the Nexus Project, Union for Reform Judaism, the Central Conference of American Rabbis, and Agudath Israel of America.\n\nBelow are the statements from organizations endorsing this legislation:\n\n\u201cThe data is unambiguous: Jewish Americans are under threat in their communities, on their campuses and online, and the federal government must act,\u201d said Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of ADL. \u201cADL\u2019s Audit of Antisemitic Incidents recorded 6,274 incidents in 2025 alone, including 203 physical assaults, the most we have ever recorded, and three murders. The Jewish American Security Act meets this moment with the seriousness it demands. By strengthening the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, bolstering protections for Jewish students, and increasing accountability for online platforms, this bill equips law enforcement, educators, and communities with the tools they need to respond. We commend Senators Rosen and Lankford, for their bipartisan commitment to combating antisemitism and standing up for Jewish Americans, and we urge Congress to pass this legislation without delay.\u201d\n\n\u201cNo American should need a security perimeter to pray. No American should be afraid to leave their home or visit a cultural center of their choosing. Yet, that is exactly what Jews in this country are experiencing every day,\u201d said American Jewish Committee (AJC) CEO Ted Deutch. \u201cWe are at an inflection point. Surging antisemitism is not just a threat to the Jewish community; it is a crisis for our democracy and the values we cherish as Americans \u2013 pluralism, religious freedom, and the promise of equal protection. We thank Senators Rosen and Lankford for their leadership and demonstrating that confronting this hatred is not a political issue, but a moral obligation.\u201d\n\n\u201cJewish communities across the United States are facing a real and growing security crisis, and the federal government has a responsibility to ensure that all Americans can gather, worship, and live openly and safely as who they are. Jewish Federations of North America and the communities we represent are deeply grateful to Senators Rosen and Lankford for co-leading and introducing this landmark security package at a moment when threats, fear, and violence have become part of daily life for far too many Jewish families and institutions,\u201d said Hon. Eric D. Fingerhut, President and CEO of Jewish Federations of North America. \u201cThis legislation represents one of the strongest congressional responses we have seen to the alarming rise in antisemitism and targeted violence against the Jewish community. It sends a clear and unmistakable message: protecting Jewish Americans is not optional \u2014 it is an urgent national priority. We are proud to support this effort and urge Congress to act swiftly, because no American should have to live in fear simply for being Jewish.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe Secure Community Network proudly supports the Jewish American Security Act and is grateful for the bipartisan leadership of Senators Rosen and Lankford in advancing this critical legislation. In recent weeks alone, we have seen targeted attacks on Jewish schools, children, and synagogues, and the arrest of an individual directing violence against Jewish communities from abroad. These are not isolated incidents. They reflect a coordinated and escalating threat environment that demands a sustained federal response,\u201d said Michael Masters, National Director & CEO of Secure Community Network (SCN). \u201cThis bill reflects long-standing priorities SCN has raised through expert testimony and engagement with policymakers and law enforcement partners. It meets the urgency of this moment by strengthening information sharing, assessing emerging threats, and breaking down silos. We are grateful for the bipartisan effort that brought this forward. It is a matter of safety, security, and the enduring promise of a nation where faith-based life can flourish without fear.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America strongly supports the Jewish American Security Act (\u201cJASA\u201d). Sadly, the American Jewish community is facing an unprecedented wave of antisemitism and that demands an unprecedented response by our government. The JASA is part of such a response and Congress ought to pass it as soon as possible. It will authorize essential funding for NSGP grants to Jewish synagogues and schools, direct the Justice Department to allocate funds to local police to better protect our communities and provide long-overdue, but sensible, protections for Jewish students on college campuses by demanding that their rights under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act are protected as much as the rights of other students,\u201d said Nathan Diament, Executive Director of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America. \u201cWe thank Senators Lankford and Rosen for their leadership and partnership on this legislation and look forward to working with them and other allies to have it enacted into law.\u201d\n\n\u201cAntisemitism has reached crisis proportions in the US, demanding a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach,\u201d said Carol Ann Schwartz, National President of Hadassah, The Women\u2019s Zionist Organization of America. \u201cHadassah is proud to support the Jewish American Security Act, critical legislation that would fund the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, strengthen civil rights protections for Jewish students and study the correlation between online antisemitism and violence against Jews. We thank Senators Rosen and Lankford for their bipartisan leadership and urge Congress to act swiftly to safeguard Jewish communities across the country.\u201d\n\n\u201cJewish Americans face antisemitism wherever they turn: at school, at synagogue and even at home thanks to the cesspool of unabashed antisemitism that is growing exponentially online,\u201d said Rabbi A.D. Motzen, Agudath Israel of America\u2019s National Director of Government Affairs. \u201cThe bipartisan Jewish American Security Act addresses all of these forms of hate in one comprehensive bill and deserves to be enacted by Congress as soon as possible.\n\n\u201cAt a moment of rising, increasingly-violent antisemitism, it\u2019s vital that we invest in whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches that will keep Jewish and all communities safe. The Jewish American Security Act takes important steps forward, like strengthening the Education Department, supporting equal and unbiased Title VI enforcement, helping protect Nonprofit Security Grants from political interference, countering online extremism and hate, and recognizing the inextricable link between Jewish safety and our democracy,\u201d said Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs. \u201cMake no mistake: there is no truly inclusive, pluralistic democracy unless antisemitism is addressed and Jews are safe. So too does Jewish safety require protecting the democratic norms and values that have long protected us \u2014 and we will continue to reject the false choice we\u2019re too often offered between countering antisemitism and protecting our democracy and our rights.\u201d\n\n\u201cJewish Women International applauds Senators Rosen and Lankford for introducing the Jewish American Security Act, which addresses the growing antisemitic violence, vandalism and threats American Jewish communities have faced over the last few years,\u201d said Meredith Jacobs, CEO of Jewish Women International. \u201cWhile no one should have to fear being targeted because they\u2019re Jewish, as JWI, we are particularly aware of how young, Jewish women are experiencing this moment and the threats they feel both in person and online. This bill would strengthen protections in schools, expand security support for communal institutions and require greater transparency around antisemitism on major online platforms. We\u2019re proud to endorse it.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe are grateful for the bipartisan leadership behind the \u2018Jewish American Security Act,\u2019 a serious and necessary response to the rise in antisemitism,\u201d said William C. Daroff, CEO of Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. \u201cWe commend Senators Rosen and Lankford for advancing this comprehensive legislation that strengthens protections for Jewish students, secures synagogues and communal institutions, and addresses the spread of antisemitism online. This legislation meets the moment. Congress should move it forward without delay.\u201d\n\n\u201cCollege campuses are one of the last remaining places where young adults of different backgrounds and belief systems can engage face-to-face to break down walls and bridge divides,\u201d said Adam Katz, President of the Blue Square Alliance Against Hate. \u201cAt the Blue Square Alliance Against Hate, we\u2019ve leveraged this opportunity and taken our work to campuses across the country, standing up programming to foster healthy, respectful dialogue, and to ultimately engage students in the fight against antisemitism and all forms of hate. We are proud to support the bipartisan Jewish American Security Act, which will provide the resources and infrastructure required to protect Jewish students and to turn the tide on rising antisemitism. Defeating hate requires partnership and investment from both the public and private sectors. This legislation represents an incredible step forward in the fight to defeat hate and brings us closer to our shared goal of creating welcoming campus communities where all students can unlock their full potential.\u201d\n\n\u201cAt this perilous moment of violent antisemitism experienced by congregants, clergy, and congregations in our own Reform Jewish community and beyond, the need for meaningful steps to bolster security and the fight against hate is vital. The Jewish American Security Act strengthens the government tools and funding that will be available to help us meet this moment and uphold the American commitment to religious freedom,\u201d said Rabbi Jonah Pesner, Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism.\n\n###", 1, "2026-05-20T06:27:31Z", "2026-05-20T06:28:54Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/lankford-rosen-introduce-comprehensive-bipartisan-bill-to-fight-antisemitism-2/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.3430919498205185, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}