The Senate Appropriations Committee passed a measure Wednesday combating the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, despite resistance from a group of Democrats. The committee passed the amendment, which is an outgrowth of the February Combating BDS Act of 2016, 21-to-9, as part of the 2017 State and Foreign Operations spending bill. It will grant state and local governments legal authority to divest taxpayer funds from pro-BDS companies.

“Today, 21 Senate appropriators joined me to take a strong bipartisan stand against anti-Semitism, and voted to protect Illinois and other states seeking to fight back against the BDS movement’s economic warfare targeting Israel,” said Senator Mark Kirk of Illinois, who helped draft the legislation.