Rep. Josh Riley (N.Y.-19), a Democrat who represents the district encompassing Cornell, Binghamton University and Ithaca College, voted for legislation that would withhold federal aid for universities that engage in boycotts against Israel during a Thursday morning vote.
The Protect Economic and Academic Freedom Act, which passed the U.S. House, 237-169, with mostly Republican votes, would make universities who engage in “nonexpressive commercial boycotts” of countries designated as “major strategic partners” — Israel is the only state labelled as such — ineligible for student aid funding.
The bill, if written into law, would also limit federal funding eligibility for universities that restrict academic collaborations with Israel — including study abroad programs and joint research.
Cornell Tech has a running partnership with the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology which has faced criticism from students citing ethical and legal concerns related to Technion’s alleged involvement in the development of military technologies connected to human rights violations. A Student Assembly resolution calling on Cornell Tech to terminate this partnership passed in March 2026 after students packed two Assembly meetings in support.
Riley’s vote comes as a student coalition at Cornell launched “Students Not Bombs,” a campaign pressuring the University to divest from weapons manufacturers that provide arms to Israel. In a Spring 2024 referendum, 69% of voters supported divestment from weapons companies who send arms to Israel, with just under half of the student body participating.
“While Israel commits war crime after war crime, while Palestinians are killed in thousands and while basic humanitarian aid is systematically denied for them, our administration has remained complicit,” said Yasmeen Masoud ’28, president of Students for Justice in Palestine at Cornell and vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion in the Student Assembly, at the “Students Not Bombs” campaign launch.
Riley’s Thursday vote adds to his recent support for legislation upholding relations between Israel and the U.S. In July, he voted to maintain current U.S. aid to Israel and he voted to sanction the International Criminal Court in January 2025 over its issuing of arrest warrants to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant.
Though Riley has been critical of the Netanyahu government, which he described as “reckless and belligerent” in a statement posted on Facebook, he has stressed the importance of maintaining an alliance.
“From a policy perspective, I believe the American-Israeli alliance is critically important and that we as a country need to continue to stand with our allies around the world,” Riley told The Ithacan in 2025.
Riley, who is in the midst of a competitive re-election bid against Republican challenger State Senator Peter Oberacker, has previously faced criticism from some in Ithaca for being too supportive of Israel, which the United Nations has classified as committing a genocide.
The bill now heads to the Senate for approval.
Atticus Johnson
Atticus Johnson is a member of the Class of 2028 in the College of Arts and Sciences. He is a news editor for the 144th Editorial Board and can be reached at ajohnson@cornellsun.com.
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