By Congresswoman Stephanie Bice 
College campuses across the nation have seen increased conflict, which ultimately has led to uncertainty and fear for many students. Without leadership from many universities across the nation, these conflicts have resulted in open hostility and in many cases anti-Semitic protests. Instead of prioritizing safe and constructive conversations, college campuses have catered to those who have chosen to violate the peaceful rights granted in the Constitution and put their fellow students in danger.
The First Amendment guarantees the right to free speech and the freedom to assemble. Every individual has these rights, but these groups have gone beyond this point by breaking the law. Specifically, at Columbia University, students took over and barricaded themselves in Hamilton Hall, a university building. In this situation, the University failed to maintain order on campus and did not safeguard the protections or civil rights of Jewish students. Every institution of higher education must prioritize the safety and protection of students of every religion and background.
Sadly, these actions are not new. Over a century ago another country began to take similar actions to what is happening in the U.S. today. Jewish students at top universities in Germany were blocked from class and later expelled. These universities began implementing anti-Semitic classes with professors spewing hate to their students. These events ultimately led to the Holocaust, the state-sponsored persecution and murder of six million Jews.
We cannot sit idly by, and the U.S. House of Representatives is focused on ensuring that this history is not repeated. Recently, Speaker Johnson announced a house-wide effort to crackdown on antisemitism at college campuses. As part of this effort, various committees in the House will audit federal funding received by these universities, the foreign student visa program that has allowed students sympathetic to terrorist groups to attend the school, and other factors. This work will be crucial to addressing the issue in the months to come.
In the midst of final exams and graduation ceremonies, every student should be focused on their education rather than their safety on campus. They should never fear persecution from a classmate and should be able to safely celebrate their academic success. Ultimately, everyone plays a part in this though. We can either stand by and watch antisemitism become normalized in our society or we can speak up and take a stance against this hate.
