Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH) said Wednesday that he plans to call on the Senate to pass the SACRED Act, legislation imposing restrictions on protests around synagogues and other religious institutions, by unanimous consent.

The effort could be derailed by opposition from any one lawmaker, but highlights the momentum and desire by some on Capitol Hill to pass “buffer zone” legislation or other measures to combat antisemitism, which Congress has struggled to do on several occasions since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on Israel and the ensuing spike of antisemitism.

“’I’m going to get the SACRED Act done,” Moreno said at a breakfast event held on the Hill by Jewish organizations commemorating Jewish American Heritage Month. “My plan is in the next day or two to put the SACRED Act on the floor of the United States Senate with unanimous consent, get that passed.”

The SACRED Act, which was introduced in late April in the House by Reps. Tom Suozzi (D-NY) and Max Miller (R-OH), would create criminal and civil penalties for individuals who attempt to intimidate or obstruct someone to prevent them from entering or exiting a place of worship, within 100 feet of a religious institution.

A Senate version of the bill has not yet been introduced. Republicans and outside advocates are also working on alternative buffer zone legislation that would likely take a different approach than Suozzi’s bill.

The breakfast event was organized by the Combat Antisemitism Movement, the Jewish Federations of North America, the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations and the Weitzman Museum of Jewish American History.

Other attendees included Sen. David McCormick (R-PA) and Reps. David Kustoff (R-TN), Haley Stevens (D-MI), Tim Kennedy (D-NY), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Virginia Foxx (R-NC), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Wesley Bell (D-MO), Kim Schrier (D-WA), Brad Schneider (D-IL), Randy Weber (R-TX), Don Bacon (R-NE), Jim Jordan (R-OH), Dan Goldman (D-NY), Rick Allen (R-GA) and Randy Fine (R-FL).

Sam Salz, one of the first Orthodox Jewish NCAA Division I football players, was the keynote speaker.

Bacon, who is retiring at the end of his term, said that he’s concerned about the rising antisemitism on both sides, including on the right within the Church.

He said that some are rejecting and twisting scripture “just like Nazi Germany did in the 1930s and just like we’ve seen throughout history, where we’ve seen antisemitism using the Bible to condone it.”

Making reference to Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), he called it “just wrong” for Massie to blame Israel for his loss in his concession speech on Tuesday, also condemning Democratic Texas candidate Maureen Galindo, who has espoused a range of virulently antisemitic sentiments.