Congress has initiated an investigation into the increasing incidents of antisemitism on college campuses, sending letters to the leaders of ten prominent universities. This move is led by Republican North Carolina Congresswoman Virginia Foxx and leaders of five other key committees, aiming to address concerns about student safety and the appropriate use of taxpayer funds, reports The Center Square.
The letters, directed to Barnard, Columbia, Cal Berkeley, UCLA, Harvard, MIT, Northwestern, Penn, Rutgers, and Cornell, emphasize the need to “restore a safe learning environment” and ensure the “proper stewardship of taxpayer funds.” These letters are signed by U.S. Reps. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.), Jason Smith (R-Mo.), Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.), Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), James Comer (R-Ky.), and Frank Lucas (R-Okla.), who respectively chair the committees on Education and the Workforce; Ways and Means; Energy and Commerce; Judiciary; Oversight and Accountability; and Science, Space & Technology.
“This Congress will not stand idly by and allow an environment hostile to Jewish students to persist,” the lawmakers asserted in their letter.
The context of this probe follows the October 7 attack by Hamas on Israel, which has since led to ongoing conflicts resulting in over 37,000 deaths, including approximately 35,000 Palestinians. In the U.S., this conflict has sparked unrest on college campuses, ranging from peaceful protests to more disruptive actions such as changing U.S. flags to those of Palestine, building takeovers, and property destruction. In many instances, these unlawful acts involved both students and external participants.
The letter also states, “The House of Representatives will not countenance the use of federal funds to indoctrinate students into hateful, antisemitic, anti-American supporters of terrorism.”
The representatives highlight that postsecondary education should offer students an environment to learn and have their beliefs challenged. They argue that universities, which receive “hundreds of millions of federal funds annually,” should not allow their campuses to become platforms for promoting terrorism, antisemitic harassment, and other forms of intimidation and violence.
Each letter provides an outline of the ongoing investigations conducted by the respective committees and the reasons for the probes. While the immediate outcomes for each university remain uncertain, some institutions have already been called to testify in Washington.
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Author: Sara Carter Staff
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