MPAC Condemns House Passage of H.R. 4795, Calls on Senate to Reject the Bill
Washington, D.C. | www.mpac.org | September 3, 2026 — The Muslim Public Affairs Council condemns the U.S. House of Representatives’ passage of H.R. 4795, the Protect Economic and Academic Freedom Act, and calls on the Senate to reject this dangerous legislation.
H.R. 4795, the Protect Economic and Academic Freedom Act, passed the House today by a vote of 237–169. The bill would prohibit institutions of higher education that participate in federal student aid programs from engaging in certain commercial boycotts of Israel. Specifically, institutions could not take commercial actions intended to limit business relations with Israel, or with entities licensed by, regulated by, or organized under Israeli law, unless those actions are based on a valid business reason.
Despite its name, this legislation does not protect academic freedom. It uses the power of the federal government, and leverages access to federal education funding, to pressure institutions into forced positions on Israel.
H.R. 4795 also sets a troubling precedent beyond this particular debate. If Congress can condition federal education funding on whether universities engage in or refrain from a particular political boycott today, what prevents future Congresses from imposing similar conditions based on other political viewpoints? Federal education funding should support students, research, and educational opportunity, not serve as a tool for political coercion.
MPAC’s First Amendment Center has opposed H.R. 4795 because protecting academic freedom and constitutional rights requires drawing a clear line between enforcing civil rights protections and compelling political conformity. Should a companion bill be introduced in the Senate, we urge Senators to reject it and oppose any effort to advance the provisions of H.R.4795.
