FMEP Legislative Round-Up May 6, 2026

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 podcast:

  • 5/4/26: Gaza’s Disappeared, ft. FMEP fellow Ahmed Moor in conversation with Mahmoud Mushtaha, a journalist and researcher from Gaza, and Obada Shtaya, the co-founder and CEO of the West Bank-based Institute for Social and Economic Progress.

Note: With both the House and Senate are in recess this week, the Round-Up is being published 2 days early.

1. Bills & Resolutions

(TARGETING QATAR UNDER PRETENSE OF PENALIZING SCHOOLS FOR ACCEPTING FUNDING FROM COUNTRIES CONGRESS DOESN’T LIKE) S. 4424 // HR 8559 [bill text]:  Introduced 4/28/26 in the Senate by Soctt (R-FL) and in the House by Stefanik (R-NY) and Gottheimer (D-NJ), “to amend the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 to prohibit certain institutions of higher education from receiving research and development awards, and for other purposes” aka the “Defending American Research Act.” The legislation would target universities that accept funding from Venezuela, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Iran, China, Cuba, Turkey, the Russian Federation, Qatar, and “Any other country the Secretary of State determines appropriate.” Referred to the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. Also see press release: Sen. Rick Scott, Reps. Elise Stefanik & Josh Gottheimer Introduce Bipartisan Bills to Limit Foreign Influence on American Universities

(TARGETING QATAR UNDER PRETENSE OF PENALIZING SCHOOLS FOR HAVING BRANCHES IN COUNTRIES CONGRESS DOESN’T LIKE) S. 4423 // HR 8558 [bill text]: Introduced 4/28/26 in the Senate by Soctt (R-FL) and in the House by Stefanik (R-NY) and Gottheimer (D-NJ), “to amend the Research and Development, Competition, and Innovation Act to require each institution of higher education to certify as part of an application for a research and development award that such institution does not operate certain branch campuses, and for other purposes,” aka the “No Branch Campuses in Hostile Countries Act.” The legislation would target universities that accept funding from Venezuela, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Iran, China, Cuba, Turkey, the Russian Federation, Qatar, and “Any other country the Secretary of State determines appropriate.”Referred to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.

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Media related to legislation:

2. Letters

3. Hearings & Markups

May 13, 2026: The House Committee on the Judiciary’s Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government will hold a hearing entitled,  “Sharia-Free America: Why Political Islam & Sharia Law are Incompatible with the U.S. Constitution: Part II.” [No further details available as of 5pm EDT on 5/6/26]

4. Selected Members on the Record

REMINDER: It is simply beyond the capacity of the Round-Up to track [let alone document] what every member of the House and Senate is saying about the US/Israel war with Iran. To see what a specific member has said, check their websites and social media accounts.

Israel

  • Jacobs (D-CA) 5/5/26: X-post – “President Trump is continuing a long U.S. tradition of holding our partners to different standards than everyone else: selling billions of dollars in weapons to Israel and the UAE – despite their atrocities in Gaza and Sudan. This hypocrisy hurts us.“
  • Meeks (D-NY) 5/1/26: Meeks Calls out Trump Admin for Abusing Emergency Authorities to Bypass Congress on Arms Sales
  • Jackson (R-TX) 5/2/26: X-post w/ video clip of speech at the Hudson Institute – “By leveraging combat-tested technology and deepening collaboration with Israel, we can maintain our military edge and strengthen our national security. That’s why I’m proud to lead the U.S.-Israel FUTURES Act to ACCELERATE next-generation defense innovation for our warfighters.”
  • Jackson (R-TX) 5/1/26: X-post w/ video clip of speech at the Hudson Institute – “Operation Epic Fury PROVES what happens when America leads alongside our ally, Israel. Through unmatched U.S.–Israel defense cooperation, we crippled Iran’s missile arsenal, destroyed its Navy, and dealt a decisive blow to its nuclear program. Peace comes through STRENGTH. When America leads with Israel, our enemies know: aggression and terrorism will NOT win.“

West Bank/Gaza/Jerusalem/Palestinians

  • Foushee (D-NC) 5/1/26: X-post – “Reports of water shortages across the Gaza Strip are deeply troubling. Israeli strikes killed a child in Gaza just days ago, and this continued water shortage emphasizes the inhumane position innocent Palestinians have been put in. I continue to call on Congress to pass legislation to stop arms sales to Israel, and take steps to protect civilians across the region.”

Targeting Free Speech/Right to Protest/Academia critical of Israel/Zionism; Weaponization of Claims of Antisemitism; NGO Sector

  • Fetterman (D-PA) 5/6/26: X-post – “Mob of Pro-Hezbollah / Hamas shitheads raging against law enforcement and terrorizing the NYC Jewish community near a synagogue and day care. Where’s my party’s condemnation?“
  • House Committee on Education & the Workforce (Republicans)  5/4/26: X-post – “We’ve led the fight to expose antisemitism in our schools—and we won’t back down. New federal complaints against the nation’s largest teachers union only reinforce what we’ve uncovered: this is serious, and it demands accountability. Antisemitism has no place in education. Period.” Responding to Free Beacon article, ‘Threatening and Intimidating’: Largest Teachers’ Union in United States Hit With Federal Antisemitism Complaint
  • Goldman (D-NY) 5/3/26: “A student organization at an American university designed to support and include a group of students has nothing to do with the Israeli government’s policy decisions.  This is hateful and vile antisemitism, plain and simple. I thank @TheNewSchool admin for swiftly rejecting this action.” NOTE: Goldman is certainly free to assert that Hillel “has nothing to do with the Israeli government’s policy decisions” — but that assertion is contradicted by the New School students’ 38- page. publicly available report documenting Hillel’s activities in support of and collaboration with the government of Israel, including the IDF in Gaza.  That report, “based on Hillel’s own published Instagram posts, application documents, tax filings, program materials, and other open source information” — documents things like: “The clearest and most direct evidence of material ties between Hillel at The New School and foreign military activity is the Hillel on Base (HOB) program, described on Hillel at Baruch’s official website as follows: ‘HOB (Hillel on Base) is a 7-day trip to Israel with all your best friends! Volunteer on an IDF (Israeli Defense Force) base in Southern Israel, wear IDF uniform, give back to the community on base, and explore Israel!’ It is further described as “a 10-day trip to Israel volunteering on an IDF (Israeli Defense Force) base. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity to help support Israel during this time…You will… be on an IDF base in IDF uniform and alongside soldiers’.”]
  • Scott (R-FL) 5/2/26: X-post – “I completely agree. It’s unacceptable for any university professor to praise chaos that glorified America’s enemies, justified violence and terrorized Jewish students. If this is what Americans are paying for, it’s time to cut them off COMPLETELY.” [targeting the University of Michigan]
  • Welch (D-VT) 5/2/26: X-post – “I encourage you to read Mahmoud Khalil’s account of the past year. It’s a chilling (and yet still hopeful) portrait of President Trump’s use of the federal government to punish Mahmoud’s advocacy for Gaza, and a warning to our country if we turn a blind eye to authoritarianism.”

Islamophobia

  • Fine (R-FL) 5/3/26: X-post – “Armenians should not serve in Congress. Neither should Somalis. Or Guatemalans. Or — wait for it— Israelis. If you are a citizen of a foreign country, you shouldn’t serve in ours. We need to pass my bill to stop the invasion of dual citizens in Congress. NOW.” Also see Fine (R-FL) 5/4/26: X-post – “If you hold dual citizenship with another country, you should not be able to serve in Congress. I don’t care if you’re a dual citizen from Somalia, Israel, Guatemala, or anywhere else. My Disqualifying Dual Loyalty Act would put an END to this problem and make it law across the board.” Both posts contain or are linked to a gif Fine has posted previously that contains images depicting Rep. Tlaib (D-MI) with a Palestinian flag; Rep. Omar (D-MN) with a Somali flag, and what I think is supposed to be Rep. Ansari (D-AZ) edited to add a chador (Iranian-style hijab with partial face covering – that she NEVER wears), with an Iranian flag. As noted in the 4/10/26 edition of the Round-Up: Tlaib was born in Detroit, Michigan; Ansari was born in Seattle, Washington; and Omar is a refugee from Somalia who became a U.S. citizen in 2000. Is it relevant that Omar is foreign-born? Well… Per the public list maintained by the Clerk of the House, there are **26 foreign-born Members of Congress**. Fine only mentions Omar — who happens to be the only Muslim on the list. Is it relevant that Tlaib, Ansari, & Omar are engaged/outspoken on issues related to the countries in which they have heritage? Well… Many, many members do likewise, incl via the many House caucuses organized around national/ethnic identities. Is it relevant that if a critic of Israel posted the exact same post/pic that Fine posted, but with pix of Jewish members of Congress who are ardent supporters of Israel, with Israeli flags on on their pix, there would be a massive outcry of ANTISEMITISM and demands for consequences — but now Fine posts this image repeatedly and NOBODY SEEMS TO CARE? In sum: Fine singles out two US-born citizens & one 26-year naturalized citizen — all who happen to be women, brown, two who are Muslim & one who identifies as secular but has heritage in a Muslim country — to accuse of dual loyalty. And there’s no outcry.

Other stuff

  • Van Hollen (D-MD) 5/5/26: X-post – “As the civil war in Sudan enters its 4th year, the RSF continues to commit genocide with impunity. As I told this Trump official — if ending this genocide is a priority we need ACTION. To get results, the US must use our immense leverage to get the UAE to stop arming the RSF.”
  • Cornyn (R-TX) 5/5/26: X-post – “You prefer a nuclear Iran, the #1 state sponsor of terrorism that has been at war with America and Israel since 1979?”
  • Cornyn (R-TX) 5/4/26: X-post – “Pathetic Schumer: Let the Iranian regime get a nuclear weapon and wipe Israel off the map.” Responding to Schumer (D-NY) 5/4/26 X-post – “GAS PRICES ARE $4.39 AND CLIMBING I stood at a gas station in Upstate NY with veterans, farmers, and families paying the price every time they fill up. This is Trump country. They don’t want to pay for his reckless Iran war. They’re saying: enough. End the war. Stop the pain at the pump.“

5. Selected Media

Israel/AIPAC (and Iran) in US elex & politics – GENERAL

Israel/AIPAC (and Iran) in US elex & politics – STILL Making Hasan Piker the Big Story

Israel/AIPAC in US elex & politics –  California

Israel/AIPAC in US elex & politics – Indiana

Israel/AIPAC in US elex & politics – Maine

Israel/AIPAC in US elex & politics – Michigan

Israel/AIPAC in US elex & politics – Nebraska

  • American Prospect 5/6/26: Pro-Israel Super PAC Returns in Pro-Choice Clothing in Nebraska [“Democratic Majority for Israel hastily got out of the Second District race after realizing the beneficiary of its spending had disavowed the group. It’s back under a different name.“]
  • Predict Hunt 5/2/26: Will Denise Powell Win NE-02? Market Drops to 58% After Attack Ads [“The attack gained additional ammunition on April 30 when The American Prospect reported that Democratic Majority for Israel (DMFI), a pro-Israel super PAC, had planned to support Powell before she rejected the backing. DMFI then transferred its ad buy to another organization. Even though Powell distanced herself from the group, the story reinforced Cavanaugh’s core narrative: that her candidacy attracts the kind of institutional and outside money that Democratic primary voters instinctively distrust.“]

Israel/AIPAC in US elex & politics – New Jersey

Israel/AIPAC in US elex & politics – New York

Israel/AIPAC in US elex & politics – Pennsylvania

Israel/AIPAC in US elex & politics – Washington

Other Stuff