Heinrich Cosponsors Comprehensive Bipartisan Legislation to Counter Antisemitism in the U.S.

ALBUQUERQUE — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) cosponsored the bipartisan Countering Antisemitism Act to take historic action to counter antisemitism in the United States.

This bipartisan legislation would take comprehensive action to strengthen efforts to combat antisemitism in America, including by establishing a first-ever National Coordinator to Counter Antisemitism, who would oversee federal efforts to counter domestic antisemitism and lead an interagency task force to implement the U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism and future government strategies.

“Antisemitism should have no place in our country. Not in Los Angeles, not in New York City, and not in New Mexico,” said Heinrich. “I believe every New Mexican has the right to feel safe in their community — whether walking to class or gathering with friends at a local community center. That’s not the case right now on our college campuses, and that’s unacceptable.  I am joining Senator Rosen’s Countering Antisemitism Act to confront antisemitism in New Mexico and across our country. This legislation will take concrete, unprecedented steps to protect Jewish individuals and communities now and into the future.” 

Sara Koplik, Director of Hillel at the University of New Mexico, the Jewish student center at UNM, thanked Senator Heinrich for his support of the bill, “We applaud Senator Martin Heinrich for his wisdom and leadership in cosponsoring S. 4091, the Countering Antisemitism Act. Our community has seen a precipitous rise in antisemitism on campus. This law will help protect students against antisemitic discrimination and help fight Holocaust denialism. We need to stop this rise in antisemitism in our country, our state and on our campuses. This law will establish important safeguards to protect our New Mexican Jewish community, and especially our students on campus.”

Jane Wishner, co-chair of the Jewish Community Relations Coalition of New Mexico, a coalition of 25 nonprofit religious, educational, advocacy, cultural and assistance organizations, expressed the coalition’s appreciation for the Senator’s cosponsorship of the Countering Antisemitism Act. “On behalf of our coalition, which represents the vast majority of the organized Jewish community in northern and central New Mexico, we thank Senator Martin Heinrich for his leadership in cosponsoring the bipartisan Countering Antisemitism Act. The Act would ensure a top-down effort throughout the federal government to address the unprecedented rise in antisemitism in the United States. According to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), New Mexico experienced a nearly 280% increase in anti-Jewish incidents from 2022 to 2023. ADL projects yet another record increase this year. This legislation will combat the increasing normalization of antisemitism across the country and we thank Senator Heinrich for standing up to this new and frightening wave of hatred against Jews.”

The legislation is led by U.S. Senators Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) and James Lankford (R-Okla.), and along with Heinrich, is cosponsored by U.S. Representatives Kathy Manning (D-N.C.), Chris Smith (R-N.J.), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), and Randy Weber (R-Texas).

The bipartisan and bicameral Countering Antisemitism Act would:

• Establish within the White House a National Coordinator to Counter Antisemitism to:
• Serve as the President’s principal advisor on countering domestic antisemitism. 
• Coordinate Federal efforts to counter antisemitism. 
• Chair a new interagency task force to coordinate the implementation of U.S. government strategies to counter antisemitism.  
• Conduct an annual analysis of the spread of antisemitism online and provide recommendations to Congress on how to counter it.  
• Direct federal agencies to submit a report to Congress detailing their implementation of the U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism. 
• Require the FBI, Department of Homeland Security, and National Counterterrorism Center to jointly produce an annual threat assessment of antisemitic violent extremism. 
• Require the Department of Education to designate a senior official to advise the Secretary on the Department’s efforts to counter antisemitic discrimination in higher education. 
• Require the FEMA Administrator to ensure the agency has sufficient resources and personnel needed to carry out the Nonprofit Security Grant Program. 
• Formally establish May as “Jewish American Heritage Month” in federal law.

Heinrich has led numerous actions to counter antisemitism and protect the rights of Americans to practice their faith in freedom and safety. 

In March, Heinrich secured $274.5 million for FEMA’s Nonprofit Security Grant Program in the appropriations bill for fiscal year 2024. This program supports critical investments that improve the physical security of at-risk faith-based and charitable organizations. 

In 2020, Heinrich cosponsored the bipartisan Never Again Education Act to establish a dedicated federal fund to provide teachers with resources and training necessary to teach students across the United States about the Holocaust. This Act became law in May 2020. 

In 2019, following the murderous attacks at the Poway Synagogue in California and the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pennsylvania, Heinrich introduced bipartisan legislation to safeguard faith-based community centers and houses of worship. 

In 2018, Heinrich successfully compelled the Trump administration to appoint a Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism, a position at the U.S. Department of State. The decision followed an earlier letter Heinrich led with a bipartisan group of 41 U.S. Senators. In the letter, Heinrich emphasized the importance of the United States leading with action to combat anti-Semitism at home and abroad.

Heinrich introduced bipartisan legislation in 2017 to ensure that the Department of Homeland Security provides state and local law enforcement with adequate resources to protect faith-based community centers across the United States.