Johnson to start thorough investigation into antisemitism on college campuses.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is gearing up to launch a comprehensive investigation into antisemitism on college campuses, spanning multiple House committees.
The investigation is an expansion of the ongoing probe into antisemitism on college campuses led by the Education & Workforce Committee.
Speaker Mike Johnson recently spoke at Columbia University amidst protests. (Getty Images)
Johnson is set to hold a press conference with the committee chairs to unveil the probe. He strongly condemned the demonstrations last week during a visit to Columbia University, where he also met privately with Jewish students who expressed feeling unsafe on campus.
This move comes as college campuses nationwide experience a surge of anti-Israel demonstrations that started when Columbia University students and those at Barnard College were arrested for setting up an encampment on the Manhattan Ivy League’s grounds. The protests, opposing Columbia’s investments in companies with Israeli ties, have persisted since then.
Students stage a protest march on Columbia University campus in support of the encampment. (REUTERS/David Dee Delgado)
While the roles of the committees are subject to change, sources revealed that certain aspects are broadly tailored to the different panels’ jurisdictions – for instance, the Judiciary Committee’s segment will involve examining existing anti-discrimination laws, they said.
The Oversight Committee will investigate the funding sources behind the protests, according to a third source.
A fourth source familiar with the plan disclosed that the Ways & Means Committee will scrutinize the tax benefits universities receive, and what they are doing to justify these tax benefits under the current U.S. tax code.
During his recent visit to Columbia, Johnson criticized the protesters as a “mob” and specifically called out professors and faculty who participated in the protests.
In a press release announcing his upcoming public remarks, Johnson stated, “House Republicans, in collaboration with committees of jurisdiction, will broaden a comprehensive investigation focused on holding college and university administrators accountable for failing in their primary responsibility: ensuring the safety of their students.”
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