Condemning Antisemitism on University Campuses and the Testimony of University Presidents in the House Committee on Education and the Workforce

Floor Speech

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Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, I once again rise in strong support of any and all serious and meaningful efforts to combat antisemitism. Unfortunately, it's clear that the resolution on the floor today was drafted with the sole intention of scoring political points, not protecting Jewish students from antisemitism.

Last month, the House passed a resolution condemning antisemitism on college campuses and calling for campus administrators to ensure Jewish students and faculty are protected. Since then, I have urged the Majority to move past mere lip service and instead make meaningful contributions to the fight against antisemitism on college campuses.

If the Republican Majority truly cared about protecting Jewish students and faculty, they would have spent the last month implementing the Biden Administration's National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism and providing robust funding for the federal office working to protect Jewish students--the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights. Instead, they put a spending bill on the floor that cuts the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights' budget by 25 percent.

If the Majority truly cared about protecting Jewish students and faculty, they would pass a bill increasing funding for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, which provides critical funding to safeguard our nation's synagogues and Jewish centers.

If the Majority truly cared about protecting Jewish students and faculty, they would stop echoing racist `great replacement theories' and ignoring antisemitism emanating from the right--including antisemitic comments coming directly from the leader of their party. It's telling that the sponsor of this resolution has chosen to remain silent about former President Trump--whom she has endorsed--dining with a man who is calling for the genocide of ``perfidious Jews'' and other non-Christians.

Finally, if the Republican majority truly cared about protecting Jewish students and faculty, they would work with Democrats on this issue in a good-faith, bipartisan fashion instead of blatantly plagiarizing the work of a Jewish Democrat.

Mr. Speaker, the rise of antisemitism in the United States and across the world--particularly on college campuses--is a real and growing problem. I hope that someday, the Majority will use its power to actually do something about it instead of playing partisan political games. I continue to stand ready to work with the Majority if they are ever ready to address this issue in a serious, bipartisan fashion. However, I can not support this attempt to score political points masquerading as a resolution to protect Jewish students and faculty.

I urge my colleagues to oppose the resolution.

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