The Media Line: US Jewish Groups Back Bipartisan House Bill To Expand Security Funding 

US Jewish Groups Back Bipartisan House Bill To Expand Security Funding 

By The Media Line Staff 

A bipartisan group of US House lawmakers introduced legislation Wednesday to expand federal security funding for Jewish institutions and strengthen the government response to antisemitism, drawing support from major Jewish organizations as attacks and threats against Jewish communities remain a national concern. 

The House bill, led by Reps. Dan Goldman, a New York Democrat, and Mike Lawler, a New York Republican, is the companion to the Jewish American Security Act introduced last month in the Senate by Sens. Jacky Rosen, a Nevada Democrat, and James Lankford, an Oklahoma Republican. 

The measure would authorize up to $1 billion a year for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, which helps houses of worship, schools, community centers, and other at-risk nonprofits pay for security upgrades. The program is open to institutions of all faiths, though Jewish groups have been among its most active supporters. 

The bill would also allow grant money to be used for security personnel, expand support for law enforcement protection around religious institutions, require the Department of Education to develop a Title VI framework to address antisemitism on college campuses, and impose transparency requirements on large social media platforms over their handling of antisemitic content. 

“Words of condemnation are no longer enough,” Goldman said in a statement, according to Jewish Insider, which first reported the House introduction. “Since the October 7th attacks, there has been a systematic failure in Congress and in our communities to counter the threat posed by surging antisemitism across this country.” 

Jewish organizations have pressed Congress for expanded security aid following years of rising reported antisemitic incidents, including synagogue attacks, campus tensions, vandalism, online threats, and violence linked to anger over the Israel-Hamas war. 

Jonathan Greenblatt, chief executive of the Anti-Defamation League, said the group’s 2025 audit recorded 6,274 antisemitic incidents, including 203 physical assaults and three murders. 

“The data is unambiguous: Jewish Americans are under threat in their communities, on their campuses and online, and the federal government must act,” Greenblatt said. 

Supporters say the bill is intended not only to harden physical security at Jewish institutions but also to improve federal enforcement, tracking, and accountability in areas where antisemitism has increasingly surfaced.