AIPAC’s Anti-BDS Bill Is Derailed, at Least for Now
Free speech advocates said they bill would criminalize Americans’ participation in voluntary, politically motivated boycotts.
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee suffered a rare setback this weekend as Representatives Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) and Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.), two of its heavily-funded allies in Congress, saw their IGO Anti-Boycott Act pulled from the House calendar. The bill's sudden withdrawal, amid powerful opposition from free speech and pro-Palestinian advocates, marks a major blow to AIPAC's campaign to expand anti-BDS laws.
The bill, an amendment to the Anti-Boycott Act of 2018, targets Americans participating in boycotts of Israel or its settlements that are promoted by international governmental organizations (IGOs) like the United Nations or European Union, such as refusing to do business with Israeli companies. It would do so by extending existing federal boycott restrictions, which bar compliance with foreign government-led boycotts, to cover IGO-initiated boycotts, proposing fines of up to $1 million or prison terms of up to 20 years for boycott activities in commercial contexts involving interstate or foreign commerce.
AIPAC, which has funneled $527,000 into Lawler's campaigns alone via its political action committee, views the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement as part of a broader effort by Israel's adversaries to "weaken, isolate, and delegitimize the Jewish state" through economic and diplomatic attacks, alongside actions at the United Nations and International Criminal Court (ICC). Gottheimer's campaigns have received more than $1 million in earmarked funds from AIPAC's PAC, according to Federal Election Commission data.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has condemned the bill as an assault on First Amendment rights. In a February 2024 letter to lawmakers, the ACLU argued that the bill would criminalize Americans' participation in voluntary, politically motivated boycotts, which are a form of constitutionally protected expression and association.
The bill's sudden removal from the House calendar followed a surge of opposition, amplified by viral social media posts and key defections on the Republican side. Posts on X over the weekend fueled public outrage, with many slamming the bill as an AIPAC-driven effort prioritizing foreign interests over Americans. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) delivered a critical blow on Sunday, publicly announcing her intention to vote "no" over concerns that the bill would violate Americans' rights. Facing a potential floor defeat, House leadership pulled the bill on Sunday night, leaving AIPAC and its allies regrouping. The bill, which passed the House by voice vote in a previous iteration during the last session of Congress, could still be brought up for consideration at any point, either with revisions or in its current form.
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Kim Iversen reported the bill may now be "baked in" to another bill so that when it passes the politicians can say I had to vote for it because the other bill had to pass or the world would have ended.