NEWS HEADLINES: House Cancels Vote On Bill Imposing Penalties For “Boycotting Israel” * 100PercentFedUp.com * by Danielle

House Cancels Vote On Bill Imposing Penalties For “Boycotting Israel” * 100PercentFedUp.com * by Danielle

🔴 Website 👉 https://u-s-news.com/
Telegram 👉 https://t.me/usnewscom_channel

The House of Representatives canceled a vote on legislation that could impose up to 20 years in prison or a $1 million fine for boycotting the State of Israel after fierce online backlash.

OH MY: New House Bill Would Create $1M Fine For “Boycotting Israel”

Multiple Republican lawmakers criticized the bill, saying it infringes on the First Amendment.

“I will be voting NO. It is my job to defend American’s rights to buy or boycott whomever they choose without the government harshly fining them or imprisoning them. But what I don’t understand is why we are voting on a bill on behalf of other countries and not the President’s executive orders that are FOR OUR COUNTRY???” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) said.

“I agree with @RepMTG. I’ll be voting No on this bill as well,” Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) commented.

“H.R. 867, up for a vote tomorrow, aims to curb antisemitism but threatens First Amendment rights. Americans have the right to boycott, and penalizing this risks free speech. I reject and vehemently condemn antisemitism but I cannot violate the first amendment,” Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) said.

Per Daily Caller:

Lawler and Gottheimer’s bill would amend the Anti-Boycott Act of 2018 to expand its authority to also prevent Americans or U.S. businesses from participating in boycotts organized by international entities — including the United Nations (UN) and European Union (EU). The bipartisan 2018 legislation originally sought to penalize foreign governments from imposing boycotts on allied countries. President Donald Trump signed the bill into law during his first term as part of the fiscal year 2019 National Defense Authorization Act.

Lawler defended his bill in a series of X posts Sunday, arguing that the United States should not tolerate certain international entities’ boycotts against allied countries, including Israel.

The New York Republican has previously called out the the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, an international campaign that seeks to politically and economically isolate Israel by demanding entities boycott and divest from Israeli companies and sanction the country over alleged human rights abuses against Palestinians.

“This bill closes a critical loophole by ensuring that international organizations cannot enable harmful BDS efforts,” Lawler wrote in a January press release announcing the bill’s reintroduction. His legislation previously passed the House by voice vote during the 118th Congress, but was not taken up in the Senate under former Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s leadership.

“Massie, who has previously broken with his party on other speech-related bills, was the lone House lawmaker to vote against a resolution condemning anti-semitism in May 2024. He argued that Congress should not be voting on resolutions to legislate thought,” Massie wrote.

“Apparently HR 867 has been pulled from the schedule for this week. Thank you for your vocal opposition on this platform. It was a ridiculous bill that our leadership should have never scheduled for a vote,” he added.

See also

“I’m told we are no longer voting on this. It’s been pulled. Now let’s vote on the promises we made the American people, the agenda that gave us the historic victory in November 2024, President Trump’s EOs, and make DOGE cuts permanent with recessions!!!” Greene said.

Newsweek reports:

The legislation came amid ongoing protests against Israel, with university campuses in the spotlight due to students demonstrating against and criticizing the Middle Eastern ally of the U.S.

Supporters of the protests say they are standing up for Palestinian rights amid Israel’s war in Gaza. Critics of the protests, which often call for boycotting Israel, saying the demonstrators are antisemitic and threaten Jewish students. Meanwhile, some Jewish students and groups also participate in the protests against Israel.

Israel’s current war against Hamas, which the U.S. designates as a terrorist organization, began in the aftermath of the Palestinian militant group’s October 7, 2023, attack that left more than 1,200 people dead in Israel. Since the war started, more than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 100,000 injured.





Source link

Join us on Telegram
Exit mobile version