Katie Britt tells Biden administration to 'restore order and protect Jewish students on our college campuses'

U.S. Sen. Katie Britt (R-Montgomery) is fighting to protect Jewish students against anti-Semitism on college campuses.

President Biden has made it clear—

He’d rather appease radicals on the far-left than forcefully and unequivocally stand against antisemitic harassment and open calls for violence against Jews. https://t.co/PjO2m4U1UO

— Katie Britt (@KatieBrittforAL) April 22, 2024

Britt joined Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), and 24 of their Senate Republican colleagues in sending a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland and Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona calling on them to shut down the riots currently taking place on several major universities across the country.

“You need to take action to restore order and protect Jewish students on our college campuses. President Biden issued a statement on Sunday, purporting to condemn the outbreak of anti-Semitism. If that statement was serious, it must be accompanied by immediate action from your departments,” wrote the Senators. “Rioting violates federal law. Violence or attempted violence against anyone because of their Jewish heritage violates federal law. School administrators’ failure to protect Jewish students from discrimination or harassment violates federal law and is grounds for those schools losing access to federal funds. Espousing support for terrorists such as Hamas violates federal immigration law and is grounds for deportation.”

Senators Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), John Cornyn (R-Tex.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.Dak.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Ted Cruz (R-Tex.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), John Hoeven (R-N.Dak.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), John Kennedy (R-La.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Jerry Moran (R-Kans.), James Risch (R-Idaho), Pete Ricketts (R-Nebr.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), John Thune (R-S.Dak.), and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) also cosigned the letter.

Britt also introduced the Antisemitism Awareness Act, which would require the U.S. Department of Education to consider the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism when enforcing federal anti-discrimination laws.

“Now more than ever, we must send a resounding message that antisemitism has no place in America. Make no mistake – ‘Never Again’ is now, and not just overseas,” Britt said. “Whether it’s on college campuses or the streets of our nation’s largest cities, there is a disturbing amount of people unable or unwilling to distinguish good from evil. Meanwhile, extremists chant ‘Death to America,’ ‘Death to Israel,’ and even explicitly pro-Hamas refrains and open calls for the eradication of the Jewish people.”

The senator said those immigrants who support terrorist groups should be sent back to their country of origin.

“Let me be crystal clear – any non-citizen on U.S. soil who supports Hamas should be immediately deported, and any American educational institution authorizing, facilitating, or otherwise supporting pro-terrorism activities should lose every cent of federal funding and subsidization,” she said. “I am proud to stand with my Jewish brothers and sisters in Alabama, across our country, and abroad.”

The Antisemitism Awareness Act is also cosponsored by Senators Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Ron Wyden (D-Oreg.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Jerry Moran (R-Kans.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Christopher Coons (D-Del.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Kristen Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Pete Ricketts (R-Nebr.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), John Cornyn (R-Tex.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.).

Yaffee is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts “The Yaffee Program” weekdays 9-11 a.m. on WVNN. You can follow him on Twitter @Yaffee