Congressional Pressure Mounts on Ivy League Universities Over Antisemitism Policies

In the aftermath of the Hamas-led terror attacks in Israel on October 7, congressional scrutiny on combating antisemitism at U.S. universities has intensified. A group of 13 House Democrats, led by Rep. Kathy Manning, has sent a letter to the leaders of Harvard University, MIT, and the University of Pennsylvania, urging policy changes to address antisemitism on their campuses. The move follows a viral exchange between Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik and the university presidents during a House Education and the Workforce Committee hearing. The presidents, Claudine Gay of Harvard, Liz Magill of the University of Pennsylvania, and Sally Kornbluth of MIT, condemned hatred against both Jewish and Muslim communities, acknowledging an increase in attacks since the events of October 7. Stefanik, leading a separate letter with over 70 lawmakers, primarily Republican, called for the removal of university presidents in response to the hearing. The exchange also delved into questions about university codes of conduct regarding antisemitic speech.