Tipsheet

House Handily Defeats Anti-Israel Amendments From Rashida Tlaib

Rebecca Downs
Rebecca Downs  |  March 27, 2025 5:30 PM

Thursday was a bad day for Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), a particularly anti-Israel member of the Squad. The House passed the DETERRENT Act, also known as the Defending Education Transparency and Ending Rogue Regimes Engaging in Nefarious Transactions Act, which was introduced by Rep. Michael Baumgartner (R-WA). It did so without Tlaib without in favor, though, and without either of her two amendments included in the bill. 

As a summary of the bill explained:

This bill expands oversight and disclosure requirements related to foreign sources and institutions of higher education (IHEs).

Specifically, the bill requires an IHE to annually disclose to the Department of Education (ED) any year in which the IHE

  • receives a gift from a foreign country of concern (e.g., China or Russia) or foreign entity of concern of any dollar amount;
  • receives a gift or contract from a foreign source (other than a foreign country of concern or foreign entity of concern) that is valued at $50,000 or more, considered alone or in combination with all other gifts or contracts within a calendar year (current disclosure threshold is $250,000 or more), or which has an undetermined monetary value;
  • enters into a contract with a foreign country of concern or foreign entity of concern after receiving a waiver for such contract; or
  • is substantially controlled by a foreign source.

Additionally, the bill

  • prohibits IHEs from entering into contracts with a foreign country of concern or with a foreign entity of concern without obtaining a waiver,
  • requires certain IHEs to disclose gifts or contracts between covered individuals (e.g., researchers) and foreign sources, and
  • requires private IHEs with specified assets or investments to file annual investment disclosure reports.

The bill requires ED to investigate possible violations of this bill and outlines the various penalties for each violation. Penalties may include losing eligibility for federal student financial aid.

Where does Tlaib fit into this? She thought it would be a good idea to offer amendments putting Israel, our ally in the Middle East, in the same category as Iran, Russia, China and North Korea when it comes to foreign powers we want our institutions of higher education (IHEs) to not enter into contracts with. That amendment failed by a vote of 3-410. In addition to Tlaib, only two of her fellow members of the Squad voted with her, Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Ayanna Pressley (D-MA). Twenty-three members did not vote. 

Even more embarrassing for Tlaib is that there were fellow Squad members who voted against the amendment, including Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Greg Casar (D-TX), and Summer Lee (D-PA). Another Squad member, Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-IL), was among those not voting.

Another amendment failed by a vote of 4-404-1, with 27 members not voting. This amendment was trying to "promote the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) campaign against the Jewish state by requiring colleges and universities to disclose any investments in Israel, including Israeli stocks or bonds," as the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) explained it in a press release.

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This time, Reps. Tlaib, Omar, and Pressley were joined by another radical leftist, Rep. Al Green (D-TX). The lone "present" vote came from Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN). Once more, AOC, Casar, and Lee voted against their fellow Squad member, while Ramirez did not vote on the amendment. 

Tlaib spoke in favor of her amendment from the House floor, also posting to her official X account about "university financial transparency" and "international law." In castigating the overwhelming majority of the House for daring to vote against her anti-Israel amendments, she also brought up the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ), both of which have targeted Israel for their response to the October 7, 2023 attack from Hamas. President Donald Trump signed an executive order last month sanctioning the ICC. 

The DETERRENT Act ultimately passed by 241-169, with 31 Democrats joining all but one Republican (Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska) in voting in favor of the bill. There were 20 members not voting.