Condemning Antisemitism on University Campuses, H. Res. 927

Floor Speech

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Ms. HOYLE of Oregon. Mr. Speaker, last week I voted No on H. Res. 927, a resolution that purports to condemn antisemitism on college campuses. Several of my Jewish colleagues voted against this resolution as well.

I strongly agree that Congress must condemn all forms of antisemitism, including on college campuses. Since Hamas's horrific October 7th attacks on Israel, the U.S. House of Representatives has voted in favor of several resolutions condemning antisemitism on college campuses and throughout the world, multiple of which I've supported and cosponsored. However, this latest resolution, H. Res. 927, is yet another disingenuous resolution that weaponizes the real scourge of antisemitism, uses Jewish people as pawns to play partisan political games, and represents another attack in the extreme right- wing's war on higher education. For this reason, I could not support the resolution.

Among other items, H. Res. 927 calls on specific college presidents to resign, referencing a made-for-TV congressional hearing orchestrated by congressional Republicans last week. I believe it is inappropriate for Congress to inject itself into leadership and personnel decisions at colleges and universities. Doing so creates a slippery slope of Congress meddling in local decisions that the federal government should not be involved in.

H. Res. 927 also appears to be another attempt to police and silence the free speech of Americans on college campuses. Again, while some demonstrators on college campuses have disturbingly engaged in antisemitic actions that should rightfully be condemned. H. Res. 927 is too broad.

H. Res. 927 also fails to condemn antisemitic acts from those on the far right, including white nationalists who have increasingly promoted antisemitic conspiracy theories and have threatened the lives and livelihoods of Jewish Americans. The lead sponsor of H. Res. 927 has also publicly engaged in antisemitic tropes in the past, including the disgusting ``great replacement theory.'' This resolution appears to be an attempt to cover up extremist right-wing Republicans' flirtation with antisemitic ideology, as well as their support for antisemitic public figures.

Let me be clear: I unequivocally condemn all forms of antisemitism, and I am appalled by the significant rise in antisemitism we've seen on college campuses in recent weeks. Many Jewish college students and faculty do not feel safe on campus, and many Jewish Americans feel unsafe in public. This is absolutely unacceptable. The university presidents who participated in last week's congressional hearing gave insufficient and appalling answers relating to campus speech calling for the genocide of Jewish people. I'm glad that they've since apologized for their statements, and I encourage other colleges not to make the same mistake these presidents did.

However, if the House Republican majority were serious about tackling antisemitism, they would support President Biden's National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism, would quit trying to defund the Office of Civil Rights for Title VI enforcement which protects Jewish students and would increase funding for the High-Risk Nonprofit Grant Program to secure Jewish institutions as a start.

That's why I've cosponsored H. Res. 927, introduced by Representatives Nadler, Raskin, and Goldman. H. Res. 927 thoughtfully and powerfully condemns the rise of antisemitism in the United States-- including on college campuses--and calls on Congress to support the above substantive actions to tackle antisemitism, which congressional Republicans have so far refused to do. I call on my congressional Republican colleagues to put politics aside and work in a bipartisan way to substantively tackle antisemitism.

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