FMEP Legislative Round-Up December 19, 2025

Resource

1. Bills, Resolutions
2. Letters
3. Hearings & Markups
4. Selected Members on the Record
5. Selected Media & Press releases/Statements

New episodes of FMEP’s Occupied Thoughts Podcasts:

Also of note:

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1. Bills & Resolutions

[It’s Baaaaaaacccckkk] (SETTING UP NEW CATEGORY OF LAWFARE OPEN DOOR TO TARGETING ANY/ALL NGOs, [but aimed initially at NGOs that deal with Palestinian issues]) HR 6800 // S. 3544 [bill text]: Introduced 12/17/25 by Kustoff (R-TN) and no cosponsors, and in the Senate by Cornyn (R-TX) and Sheehy (R-MT), “To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to terminate the tax-exempt status of terrorist supporting organizations.” Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means and the Senate Committee on Finance. NOTE: No text is yet available but this appears to be Kustoff’s re-introduction of his bill introduced (with Schneider, D-IL) 11/14/23, HR 6408, with the exact same short title, and sold (in the press release and in a House hearing) as necessary to end tax-exempt benefits for US non-profits that support Hamas. That bill was passed by the House, and eventually re-introduced in combination with another measure, in the form of HR 9495. At that point there emerged belated but widespread recognition that the bill could be used to target ANY non-profit engaged on issues disfavored by the Executive (not just non-profit orgs working on issues related to the Palestinians), leading the measure to become popularly known as the “NGO KILLER BILL.”  Also see:

(A BILL THAT SEEMS TO BE ACTUALLY ABOUT FIGHTING ANTISEMITISM & NOT CONFLATING ANTISEMITISM WITH FREE SPEECH IN SUPPORT OF PALESTINIAN LIVES/RIGHTS) HR 6806: Introduced 12/17/25 by Nadler (D-NY) and 3 Democratic cosponsors, the “Antisemitism Response and Prevention Act of 2025.”  Referred to the Committees on the Judiciary, Education and Workforce, Homeland Security, and Transportation and Infrastructure. Also see press release – Nadler, DeLauro, Balint, Frost Introduce Antisemitism Response and Prevention Act. NOTE:

  • The bill defines “antisemitism” by citing “the third paragraph of page 13 of the United States National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism.” That paragraph lays out a commonsense definition of antisemitism, not connected to Israel, Zionism, or any other additional political agenda: “Antisemitism is a stereotypical and negative perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred of Jews. It is prejudice, bias, hostility, discrimination, or violence against Jews for being Jews or Jewish institutions or property for being Jewish or perceived as Jewish. Antisemitism can manifest as a form of racial, religious, national origin, and/or ethnic discrimination, bias, or hatred; or, a combination thereof. However, antisemitism is not simply a form of prejudice or hate. It is also a pernicious conspiracy theory that often features myths about Jewish power and control.“
  • In talking about the IHRA definition, the bill emphasizes that it is a “non-legally binding educational tool”.
  • The bill calls out the Trump Administration for having “inappropriately appropriated” the IHRA definition to target free speech support of Palestinians, including with deportations.
  • The bill calls out the Trump Administration for using the Heritage Foundation’s “Project Esther” “as a blueprint for the administration’s antisemitism policies,  but rather than genuinely combating antisemitism, it weaponizes accusations of antisemitism to pursue partisan political objectives, including dismantling diversity programs, suppressing pro-Palestinian advocacy, defunding educational institutions, attacking nonprofit organizations, and undermining academic freedom.”

Also see:

(ANOTHER BILL THAT SEEMS TO BE ACTUALLY ABOUT FIGHTING ANTISEMITISM & NOT CONFLATING ANTISEMITISM WITH FREE SPEECH IN SUPPORT OF PALESTINIAN LIVES/RIGHTS) H. Res. 963: Introduced 12/18/25 by Jacobs (D-CA) and 26 cosponsors (bipartisan), “Condemning antisemitism in all its forms, including the proliferation and amplification of antisemitic content on artificial intelligence (AI) platforms, urging robust, transparent safeguards for AI, and recognizing stakeholders working to counter this threat.” Referred to the Committees on the Judiciary, and on Energy and Commerce. Notably, H. Res. 963 does not include a single mention of “Israel” or “Zionism,” and defines antisemitism, accurately, to mean: “prejudice, discrimination, or hostility directed at Jewish people, is generally based on negative stereotypes, myths, conspiracy theories, or misinformation about Jews, Judaism, or Jewish identity.” Also see press release (which, like the resolution, does not mention “Israel” or “Zionism”) – Reps. Jacobs, Bacon, Ciscomani, Friedman Lead Bipartisan Resolution Condemning Antisemitic Content on AI Platforms. Also see: House resolution calls for safeguards to address antisemitism in artificial intelligence (Jewish Insider 12/18/25)

(OPENING THE DOOR TO MASS DE-PLATFORMING OF FREE SPEECH CRITICAL OF ISRAEL, TRUMP, OR ANYTHING ELSE CONTROVERSIAL ONLINE & ON SOCIAL MEDIA) S. 3546 [bill text]: Introduced 12/17/25 by Graham (R-SC) and 9 bipartisan cosponsors, “A bill to repeal section 230 of the Communications Act of 1934,” aka the “Sunset Section 230 Act.”  Referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. NOTE: If this bill passes into law, internet platforms (including social media networks and website hosting companies) will be legally liable for any/all things posted by anyone, creating a clear incentive structure for the mass censoring and/or deplatforming of accounts, people, posts, and organizations engaged in any kind of disfavored or controversial speech. Or as civil rights attorney Jenin Younes aptly observed on X: “If Congress successfully repeals Section 230, say goodbye to the internet, esp. social media, as we know it. If platforms can be held liable for what’s posted on them, they won’t simply allow anyone to post anything at anytime. That this is happening at a time when prominent politicians are saying the reason people are pro-Palestine is social media should tell you everything you need to know: Congress is almost certainly pursuing this measure because Israel demands it”

(FY26 NDAA) S. 1071: On 12/17/25, the Senate passed the House-adopted version of S. 1071, the FY26 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), by a vote of 77-20, with no amendments (see last week’s Round-Up for details of last week’s action on this bill in the House, as well as details of Middle East-related provisions in the bill). The bill was then sent to President Trump, who signed it into law on 12/18/25. Also see: Key Middle East Provisions in the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA) 12/12/25). Many, many senators made comments about passage of S. 1071 – check members’ websites and social media accounts to see what any specific senator said.

(REVOKE CAIR’S NON-PROFIT STATUS) S. 3479: Introduced 12/15/25 by Scott (R-FL) and Blackburn (R-TN), “A bill to specify that the Council on American-Islamic Relations shall not be treated as described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.” Referred to the Committee on Finance.

(HONORING AMERICANS SOLDIERS KILLED IN SYRIA) H. Res. 957: Introduced 12/17/25 by Nunn (R-IA) and 3 Republican cosponsors, “A resolution honoring the service and sacrifice of United States Army Sergeant William Nathaniel Howard and United States Army Sergeant Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, who were killed in action in Palmyra, Syria, in a targeted assault against United States service members on December 13, 2025.“ Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services. Also see: Nunn Leads Iowa Delegation to Honor Fallen Iowa Guardsmen

(MENA HEALTH EQUITY & INCLUSION) HR 6767: Introduced 12/16/25 by Tlaib (D-MI) and 17 Democratic cosponsors, “To amend the Public Health Service Act to include Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) individuals in the statutory definition of a ‘racial and ethnic minority group’, to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct a comprehensive study of MENA population health, and for other purposes.“ Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. Also see: Tlaib Re-Introduces Bill to Promote Health Equity & Inclusion for MENA Community

(USING CLAIMS OF ANTISEMITISM TO QUASH PALESTINE VOICES/SOLIDARITY ON US CAMPUSES) HR 6857 [bill text]: Introduced 12/18/25 by Frankel (D-FL) and 7 cosponsors, “To require institutions of higher education participating in Federal student aid programs to share information about title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, including a link to the webpage of the Office for Civil Rights where an individual can submit a complaint regarding discrimination in violation of such title, and for other purposes,” aka the “Protecting Students on Campus Act of 2025.” Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.  Also see:

2. Letters

Re: previously reported letters:

3. Hearings & Markups, and Briefings

December 16, 2025: The House Judiciary Committee held a hearing entitled, “Partisan and Profitable: The SPLC’s Influence on Federal Civil Rights Policy” (video). Witnesses were: Andrew Sypher, Turning Point USA (statement); Tony Perkins, Family Research Council (statement); Tyler O’Neil, The Daily Signal (statement); and Amanda Tyler, Baptist Joint Committee (statement).

From a past hearing:

DropSite News 12/13/25: X-post w/ video clip – “Rep. Jacobs questioned Human Rights Watch’s Nicole Widdersheim on how U.S. sanctions on ICC prosecutor Karim Khan are affecting war crimes cases in Darfur. Widdersheim said the ICC is the only viable accountability mechanism for Sudan, with 11 active cases, no functioning domestic courts, and no African Union alternative. She warned ICC sanctions create a chilling effect that obstructs investigations, banking, logistics, and cooperation, not only in Sudan but also in Ukraine and Gaza.”

4. Selected Members on the Record

NOTE: Predictably, many many many members weighed in this week over the antisemitic terror attack in Australia, with many of them, predictably, using the horrific event to blame supporters of Palestinian lives/rights with antisemitism for the attack and for violence against Jews in general, as well as to attack Islam and Muslims (see: Reps. Fine, R-FL; Tuberville, R-AL, etc…). I just don’t have the stomach to cover all of this poisonous, hateful, racist, Islamophobic, genocide-supporting discourse in this Round-Up. If you want to see what a particular member said, check their website and social media accounts.

Sanders (I-VT) 12/18/25: X-post – “Heavy rains have deepened Gaza’s misery, flooding tents in which many thousands of people are huddled, exposed to winter. A baby recently died of hypothermia. Israel continues to restrict humanitarian aid, including tents. Nothing but silence from Trump. We must not forget Gaza.”

Fetterman (D-PA) 12/18/25: X-post – “One hundred percent. Furthermore, the ICC has zero jurisdiction in the United States or Israel. Any threats to arrest Israel’s Prime Minister in our nation is hot air and unenforceable.” Responding to SecState Rubio X-post – “Today, the Trump Administration is sanctioning two International Criminal Court judges directly engaged in politicized and illegitimate actions against Israel. The United States has been clear: we will continue to respond with significant and tangible consequences to protect against the ICC’s lawfare, abuse of power, and blatant disregard for the sovereignty of the U.S. and Israel.”

Self (R-TX) and Roy (R-TX) 12/18/25: Congressmen Keith Self and Chip Roy Launch Sharia Free America Caucus

Hoeven (R-ND) 12/17/25: X-post – “We must continue strengthening our relationship with Israel, our closest ally in the Middle East. Thanks to @AIPAC for helping cultivate the mutually beneficial partnership between the U.S. and Israel.”

Stefanick (R-NY) 12/17/25: X-post – “It seems very clear to me that the president of @BrownUniversity will need to be hauled in front of Congress for a hearing under oath.”

Rosen (D-NV) 12/16/25: X-post – “For far too long, the Houthis have terrorized the Yemeni people, the broader Middle East, and Americans in the region as proxies of Iran. I’m introducing a bipartisan bill with @SenMcCormickPA to hold the Houthis accountable, counter Iranian-backed aggression, and help support stability in the Middle East.” [bill covered in last week’s Round-Up]

Shaheen (D-NH) and Wilson (R-SC) 12/16/25: Op-ed in Foreign Policy – One Year on, U.S. Sanctions Are Killing Syria’s Recovery — Short-term waivers are a start, but Congress must act on the full repeal Syria needs to rebuild. [also see Shaheen press release with full text of op-ed]

Blackburn (R-TN) 12/16/25: X-post – “This is why we must defeat Hamas. Evil will not win.” Linked to pic of Jerusalem Post headline, Hamas marks 38 years since its founding, cites October 7 massacre as milestone

Mace (R-SC) 12/16/25: X-post – “A new report shows just how badly colleges are failing Jewish students: 39% have been forced to hide their identity on campus 62% have been blamed for Israel’s actions 58% have personally experienced antisemitism Only 12% say incidents were properly addressed Fourteen universities earned an F for allowing this culture of hate to persist. If schools take federal taxpayer dollars, protecting students is NOT optional.”

Green (R-GA) 12/15/25: X-post – “The First Amendment, free speech, must be protected. The easiest thing is to be against any violence against people for their identity and we already have hate crime laws against that. But censoring speech should never be allowed. They did that during covid and we said, never again!” Responding to Chris Menahan X-post w/ video clip – “Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun, Trump’s pick for US Anti-Semitism Czar, says the State Department is going to ‘have a whole division’ dedicated to battling ‘anti-Semitism on the internet’ and pushing social media to do ‘better on algorithms.’ Tech leaders, ‘many of whom are Jewish,’ have already ‘offered their assistance,’ he says. ‘The [Office of the Special Envoy to Combat Anti-Semitism] is going to be revamped entirely to be one of the highest-profile offices in the State Department because that’s what the [Secretary of State Marco Rubio] wants and that’s what the President wants.’”

Mast (R-FL) 12/15/25: X-post – “My thoughts and prayers have and continue to be with the brave servicemembers we lost in Syria over the weekend and their families. I never want to lose a single brother-or sister-in-arms but when faced with tragedy, our nation has the responsibility to honor their sacrifice. That’s why I’m calling on Congress to allow for both Guardsmen to lie in state in our Capitol Rotunda.”

Cotton (R-AR) 12/15/25: X-post w/ video clip – “Recognizing the so called ‘Palestinian state’ rewards Hamas’s depraved attack on Israel. That’s the exact opposite of what we should be doing.”

Chris Menahan 12/15/25: X-post w/ video clip – “Sen. John Fetterman laments that Democrats are running for office by being ‘anti-Israel.’ ‘That’s a betrayal of our party’s values!’ he says. He adds that TikTok and social media have ‘poisoned an entire generation’ with ‘strong anti-Israel views.’“

Fine (R-FL) 12/15/25: X-post – “The ‘Free Palestine’ movement is nothing more than a Muslim terror movement. All who were involved must be charged and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. No mercy.” Responding to report that the FBI stopped a terror plan by a “pro-Palestinian” group [Note: the charging document in this case does not include any mention of Palestine, Israel, etc.  With respect to the case in general, see this article and this thread].

Graham (R-SC) 12/14/25: X-post w/ video clip – “Hamas needs to be put on a time clock like Iran was. If Hamas isn’t completely disarmed, they will continue to wreak havoc.”

Welch (D-VT) 12/13/25: X-post – “For over two years, I’ve been working with other members of Congress to get justice for Dylan Collins and his fellow journalists who were attacked in southern Lebanon by Israeli forces. But we keep getting stonewalled at every single turn.”

Fine (R-FL) 12/12/25: X-post – “CAIR has finally admitted what I have long suspected — mainstream Muslims seek the destruction of America, Israel, and western Civilization and the genocide of all Christians and Jews. They are simply angry that I am calling for us to fight back. Texas and Florida have declared CAIR a terrorist organization. Now it is time for Congress to pass my bill to do it nationwide.” Responding to CAIR X-post – “To understand just how deranged Israel First politicians have become, one of them is now openly calling for the genocide of the entire Muslim community, including American Muslims. Let’s be clear. “Mainstream Muslims” were on American soil long before Randy Fine’s ancestors were born. Muslim explorers traveled to this continent. Black Muslims helped build this country. Muslim soldiers fought in every war dating back to the American Revolution. American Muslim doctors, entrepreneurs, activists, athletes, elected officials, entertainers and students contribute to our society every day. Randy Fine can cry about it. He can scream about it. He can rage post about it. But American Muslims will still be here long after history forgets Randy Fine’s name, praying to God five times a day, fasting in Ramadan, giving in charity, and pursuing for justice for all people. And, by the way, the Palestinian people will be free too. Insha Allah, God willing.”

Khanna (D-CA) 12/12/25: X-post w/ video clip – “These Americans, including @davidrkadler, from the Freedom Flotilla were detained by Israel. After leading a letter with the CA delegation to bring them home, I sat down with them.”

5. Selected Media

Grab-bag of News

CONGRESS STAND WITH ISRAEL

Anti-Semitic Terrorist Attack in Australia

Israel/AIPAC et al in US politics/Elex – general

  • Mondoweiss 12/19/25: New poll shows young Republicans turning against Israel
  • DAWN 12/18/25: DAWN Launches “The Faces of AIPAC” — The Missing “Who We Are” Page on AIPAC’s Website
  • National Journal 12/18/25: The Myth of AIPAC’s Power
  • INSS – The Institute for National Security Studies [Israeli org] 12/18/25: The Battle Over Israel Within the Republican Party
  • Jewish Insider 12/17/25: Trump warns that Israel, ‘Jewish lobby’ have lost influence in D.C. [“Speaking at the White House’s annual Hanukkah party, the president said Congress is ‘becoming antisemitic’“]. JI quotes Trump: “My father would tell me: The most powerful lobby that there is in this country is the Jewish lobby. It’s the Israeli lobby. It’s not that way anymore. You have a lot of people in your way,” he added. “You have a lot of people that don’t want to help Israel. You have a lot of people in Congress that don’t like Israel. You have a lot of people in Congress that in a way … they hate Israel. They hate Israel.”  NOTE: The Jewish Insider’s extensive reporting on Trump’s speech does not include any suggestion that anyone among the bevy of Jewish organizational and religious leaders, politicos, and influencers in the audience or otherwise referenced (or anyone else, including JI’s reporter or editors) find Trump’s usage of the term “Jewish lobby” in any way problematic or concerning. Reminder: if a critic of Israel/Israeli policy/Zionism ever uses the term “Jewish lobby” to refer to the forces lobbying in support of Israel in the U.S., that usage is memorialized for eternity (even if they correct themselves or apologize), to be used  as irrefutable proof of that person’s vicious antisemitism and wielded as a weapon of mass destruction against that person and their credibility. 
  • Jewish Insider 12/16/25: from the Daily Kickoff – “Rachel Gorsky Bombach, previously a foreign policy advisor to former Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and director of the National Security Council in the Obama administration, is joining Democratic Majority for Israel as chief policy officer…“
  • Jewish News Syndicate 12/16/25: Pro-Israel PAC endorses 64 House Democrats [“’These incumbent candidates understand what’s at stake, and they know that standing with our ally Israel is not only good policy but good politics,’ DMFI PAC said.”]
  • Democratic Majority for Israel 12/16/25: X-post – “We’re thrilled to announce our first round of 2026 House endorsements. Many will play a decisive role in @TheDemocrats’ effort to win back the majority—a clear sign that being pro-Israel isn’t just good policy, it’s winning politics.” [with pic showing the endorsees, and link to website listing them]
  • Open Secrets 12/15/25: Marjorie Taylor Greene heads for the exit having blazed a controversy-fueled fundraising trail
  • The Forward 12/14/25: The 7 political stories Jews will be watching in 2026 [“Zohran Mamdani’s agenda, key congressional primaries, and the future of U.S.–Israel relations will dominate the year ahead”]
  • CNN 12/13/25: Democrats want to win back Congress. First they need to weather their primary battles
  • Middle East Eye 12/12/25: X-post w/ video clip – “‘Any candidate running for a seat…whose platform includes antisemitism, we will target them as they target us.’ Ronald Lauder, president of the World Jewish Congress, vowed to ‘target’ future US Congress and Senate candidates who do not support Israel”

Israel/AIPAC et al in US politics/Elex – NY

Israel/AIPAC et al in US politics/Elex -TX

Israel/AIPAC et al in US politics/Elex – VA

  • Washington Jewish Week 12/15/25: Virginia Jewish Groups Call on State Delegate to Resign [“…Rasoul, who is considering a bid for Congress next year, responded to the criticism of his comments on Israel. ‘When Israeli human rights organizations are calling it a genocide, when mainstream [organizations], J Street here in the United States is calling it a genocide, when the whole world is seeing minute by minute what’s playing out, it’s clear what history is going to say about this moment,’ Rasoul told Radio IQ, Virginia’s public radio network.“]

Israel/AIPAC et al in US politics/Elex – NC

Israel/AIPAC et al in US politics/Elex – FL

Israel/AIPAC et al in US politics/Elex – IL

Israel/AIPAC et al in US politics/Elex – PA

Israel/AIPAC et al in US politics/Elex – DC

  • Jewish Insider 12/19/25: Longtime Jewish activist mounts bid for D.C. congressional delegate seat [“…’I am deeply committed to a strong U.S.-Israel relationship, both because Israel is our strongest ally in the region, and because that strong relationship is in the United States’ national security interest,’ Zalesne said. She said she supports President Donald Trump’s peace plan for Gaza and praised Trump’s efforts in bringing it to fruition, but said it will be a long process to rebuild Gaza and remove Hamas from power.“]