July 1, 2024
Anti-Israel, anti-Jewish protests that proliferated this spring on U.S. college campuses have inspired legislative pushback in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Reps. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) and Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) announced the introduction of the No Tax Dollars for College Encampments Act on Monday to challenge the accreditation status for schools that fail to follow their policies to prevent tent encampments, the occupation of academic buildings and other illegal measures.
The legislation would require colleges to increase transparency by revealing civil-disturbance response plans; increasing coordination with various law enforcement; and ensuring compliance to continue receiving federal funds.
“I am committed to ridding universities of the antisemitic rot corrupting our students and making campuses dangerous and unwelcoming to our Jewish communities,” Stefanik said. “Any university leaders that fail to stand up for our Jewish community will be held accountable.”
Banks called the encampment protests that riddled universities in the wake of the Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel on Oct. 7 “unacceptable” and that the legislation “holds these woke universities accountable and ensures they enforce protest rules fairly and equally, not only when it fits their political agenda.”
Stefanik said the bill can be used to prevent “the disgraceful mob riots we saw overtake campuses across the country, including Columbia University, and make sure school leaders are enforcing policies against hostile campus takeovers.”
