Bipartisan duo launches congressional caucus to confront antisemitism at colleges
Reps. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y. and Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., are launching a congressional coalition to target antisemitism at institutions of higher education.
The Combating Antisemitism on College Campuses Caucus will provide a bipartisan avenue for lawmakers to "coordinate oversight of how" schools of higher learning react to antisemitism, according to press releases issued by the lawmakers' offices.
The caucus will "press institutions to protect Jewish students, faculty, and staff, and to enforce their own anti-harassment and anti-discrimination policies," "advance and track federal legislation targeting campus antisemitism and BDS-driven discrimination," and "spotlight schools that are getting it right and share best practices across campuses nationwide," the releases note.
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While Gottheimer is a Jewish Democrat and Stefanik is a Catholic Republican, both lawmakers are concerned about the problem of antisemitism.
"Since October 7th, Jewish students on too many campuses have been harassed, intimidated, and made to feel like strangers in their own school," Gottheimer said, referring to the 2023 attack by Hamas terrorists in Israel.
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"That’s why Elise and I are teaming up to launch this caucus to hold universities accountable, back up the schools getting it right, like Vanderbilt, and make sure every Jewish kid can have a college experience without fear of discrimination or violence," he noted.
Stefanik, the author of the book "Poisoned Ivies," noted that she has "been proud to be the leader in Congress on combatting antisemitism and anti-Americanism at our colleges and universities."
Gottheimer "has been a leading partner and legislator with whom I have worked on this critical issue," Stefanik noted. "We are committed to saving American higher education for the next generation."
Fox News' Kelly Phares contributed to this report.