By Jason Lemon
Deputy News Director
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Prominent figures from within President Donald Trump's "Make America Great Again" or "MAGA" movement came out against the bipartisan IGO Anti-Boycott Act, House Resolution 867—saying it would criminalize boycotts and free speech against Israel.
After the backlash, a pending vote slated for Monday was canceled. "It's beyond outrageous and offensive that House leadership bowed to extreme-right forces and pulled this commonsense, bipartisan bill that makes antisemitic and hate-driven boycotts illegal," a spokesperson for Representative Josh Gottheimer, a New Jersey Democrat, who introduced the legislation told Newsweek Monday morning.
Newsweek also reached out to Representative Mike Lawler, a New York Republican, who introduced the legislation with Gottheimer, for comment.
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Why It Matters
Critics of the H.R. 867 say the legislation goes against the right to free speech established in the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Its supporters say it targets antisemitic actions, including boycotts of Israel.
The bill has bipartisan support but also faces bipartisan opposition.
What To Know
According to the lawmakers who introduced the bill, Lawler and Gottheimer, H.R. 867 "amends the Export Control Reform Act of 2018 to include international governmental organizations (IGOs) in existing anti-boycott laws."
The congressmen said in a January press release that the change "targets harmful and inherently antisemitic" boycott efforts undertaken at IGOs while also "extending protections already in place for boycotts instigated by foreign countries."
However, critics warn the bill threatens the constitutional rights of Americans. The penalties under the legislation include civil penalties, criminal fines of up to $1 million and imprisonment of up to 20 years for supporting calls to boycott Israel.
A number of prominent MAGA lawmakers said Sunday they planned to vote against the legislation. After the public backlash, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican, who had opposed the bill on X, formerly Twitter, wrote that the vote was canceled.
"I'm told we are no longer voting on this. It's been pulled," she wrote in an X post.
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.
...
What MAGA Critics of H.R. 867 Say
Representative Anna Paulina Luna, a Florida Republican, on X: "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."
Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican, on X: "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???"
Representative Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, on X responding to Greene: "I agree with @RepMTG. I'll be voting No on this bill as well."
Former Representative Matt Gaetz, a Florida Republican, on X: "If this bill becomes law, how many Israeli products do I need in my home to avoid fines or prison? If I leave an Israeli-made product outside my home, is it the 2025 version of lambs blood that keeps my family safe?"
Steve Bannon, a prominent Trump ally and host of the War Room podcast, shared Gaetz post on Gettr, and wrote: "Fact Check: TRUE"
What Supporters of H.R. 867 Say
A Gottheimer spokesperson to Newsweek on Monday: "Who was behind this effort [to block the legislation]? None other than a member of Congress who once claimed that Jews have space lasers and another who refused to condemn Hamas. Representatives Marjorie Taylor Greene and Thomas Massie should be ashamed of themselves. Democrats and Republicans must work together to combat efforts to isolate, delegitimize, and demonize the Jewish community and our key democratic ally, Israel."
Lawler in a January statement: "I'm proud to reintroduce the IGO Anti-Boycott Act, a bipartisan effort to protect U.S. citizens, businesses, and our allies, particularly Israel, from discriminatory boycotts. This bill closes a critical loophole by ensuring that international organizations cannot enable harmful BDS [Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions] efforts. This legislation is essential to safeguarding Israel's security and economy from unjust attacks"
Gottheimer in a January statement: "International organizations can't get away with targeting our key democratic ally, Israel. That's why we are introducing the bipartisan IGO Anti-Boycott Act to counter the blatant anti-Israel bias in international organizations like the United Nations, which has a long history of targeting the Jewish state. Democrats and Republicans must continue working together to combat efforts to isolate, delegitimize, and demonize our key ally, Israel."
American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) in a January statement: "AIPAC strongly supports the IGO Anti-Boycott Act which makes clear the U.S. will not countenance U.N. instigated boycotts of our ally Israel."
What Happens Next
H.R. 867 was slated to come up for a vote in the House of Representatives on Monday. However, Greene said on Sunday that the legislation has now been "pulled" and its fate is unclear.
Update, 5/5/25 at 11:06 a.m. ET: Comment from a Gottheimer spokesperson was added.
Update, 5/4/25 at 8:32 p.m. ET: This article was updated to include Greene's latest comment that the legislation was pulled.
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