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GOP lawmakers pass resolution calling for resignations of MIT, Harvard presidents

December 14, 2023 | | Print Article

In what is being hailed as a “historic bipartisan effort,” the Republican-led House of Representatives on Wednesday passed a resolution calling on Harvard President Claudine Gay and MIT President Sally Kornbluth to resign following their controversial testimonies on campus antisemitism before Congress last week.

The resolution passed by a vote of 303-126, Fox News Digital reports.

House Republican Conference Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.), Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) and Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) introduced the bill, which garnered 13 votes more than the 290 it needed to pass.

“[University of Pennsylvania] President [Elizabeth] Magill has resigned,” the resolution states, “and the other Presidents should follow suit.”

“The passage of my resolution marks a historic bipartisan effort to stand for moral truth,” Stefanik wrote on X. “The world is watching as Members from both sides of the aisle stand resolutely with the Jewish people to condemn antisemitism on university campuses and the morally bankrupt testimony of the Harvard, MIT, and Penn university presidents during last week’s House Committee on Education and the Workforce hearing.”

“It is disappointing and revealing that 128 Democrats chose to vote against condemning antisemitism on college campuses and the pathetic and abhorrent testimony of the university presidents,” the lawmaker added.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) is demanding the bill he is co-sponsoring to pull funding from colleges that fail to condemn antisemitism on their campus gets an immediate vote.

The bill was drafted by Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) in October, Fox News Digital reports, and the call for an immediate vote by Rick Scott is in response to the testimony of the three university presidents.

“I don’t think you ought to be going to schools that don’t want to stop antisemitism, and we’ll call it for what it is,” Rick Scott told the outlet. “And so, I think that I think that we ought to outlaw this.”

“This is absolute hatred,” the Florida senator said, “and our schools should not be allowing this.”

Called the “Stop Antisemitism on College Campuses Act,” the bill, which was introduced last month, would “prohibit institutions of higher education that authorize Anti-Semitic events on campus from participating in the student loan and grant programs.”

“Other co-sponsors include Republican Sens. Marsha Blackburn, Katie Britt, John Cornyn, Joni Ernst, Cindy Hyde-Smith, James Lankford and Ted Budd,” according to Fox.

While many support both the proposed legislation in the Senate and the House’s resolution, some question if they go “too far.”

“You did a good job but this is too far,” one user on X told Stefanik. “Let them deal with it and let the chips fall where they may.”

“This is going to backfire,” warned another. “This was absolutely foolish. I’m sure you’ll figure it out sooner or later.”

Republican Rep. Thomas Massie, who often takes the Libertarian approach to government, voted against the House resolution.

“Instead of berating university presidents for not censoring speech,” he wrote on X, “Congress should hold them accountable for forcing students to take unnecessary experimental vaccines with known potential side effects.”

As for the “Stop Antisemitism on College Campuses Act,” one user on X noted that, “This bill would penalize universities who allow constitutionally protected speech on their campuses.”

Melissa Fine
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