U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, has begun an oversight effort into New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s recent actions concerning antisemitism policy in New York City.
Cassidy criticized Mamdani for rescinding executive orders that adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism and barred city officials from supporting boycotts or divestment efforts against Israel. The IHRA definition has been supported by both major political parties and has served as federal government policy since 2019.
“Whatever somebody’s ideological background, if they’re in a position of responsibility, they must protect their citizens,” said Cassidy. “Clearly, antisemitism has been on the rise. We must respond to real dangers directed at Jewish students.”
In a letter to Mayor Mamdani, Cassidy wrote: “I write to you today to express serious concerns regarding your administration’s recent rescission of executive orders related to antisemitism and boycotts of Israel, and to seek clarification on your policy objectives and compliance with applicable federal civil rights requirements.” He also noted that New York City is home to about 1.77 million Jewish residents.
Cassidy questioned how revoking these policies would impact the safety of Jewish students in New York schools. He highlighted that as of February 2025, over 1,200 entities worldwide had adopted the IHRA definition—including dozens of countries and nearly 100 U.S. city governments—and pointed out that “abandoning this definition does little to reassure your Jewish constituents.”
The senator raised concerns about possible misalignment with federal policies such as Executive Order 13899 and Executive Order 14188 which require agencies like the Department of Education to consider the IHRA definition when enforcing civil rights protections.
He requested written responses from Mayor Mamdani on several points including whether his administration plans to adopt a new definition of antisemitism and what steps will be taken to address complaints following these changes.
As chair of the HELP Committee—which works on legislation relating to public health, education, workforce issues, retirement programs, and oversees agencies like the FDA and NIH—Cassidy emphasized his role in ensuring student safety nationwide (official website). The committee also influences regulations affecting health and education across the country (official website).
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