A pro-Israel House Democrat and Republican plan to introduce legislation creating federally sanctioned "antisemitism monitors" for select college campuses.
Why it matters: It's the first bill introduced in Congress as a direct response to the pro-Palestinian protests that have rocked Columbia University and other colleges in recent days.
Reps. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) and Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) are introducing the College Oversight and Legal Updates Mandating Bias Investigations and Accountability Act – or COLUMBIA Act.
The bill would allow the Department of Education to send a "third-party antisemitism monitor" to any college that receives federal funding — and to revoke that funding for colleges that don't comply.
The monitor, paid for by the school, would be charged with releasing a public, quarterly report evaluating "the progress that a college or university has made toward combating antisemitism."The bill was first reported by Jewish Insider.
"My office and I have spoken with countless Jewish students from campuses across America who feel deeply unsafe, purely as a result of their religious and ethnic identity," Torres said in a statement.
"Jewish students have told my office that they feel completely abandoned by their university administrators and they view Congress as the only avenue for accountability and safety."
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How might the role of an 'antisemitism monitor' impact the freedom of speech and academic freedom on college campuses?
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Should colleges be responsible for monitoring antisemitism and other forms of hate speech, or is this a matter that should be handled by external agencies?
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Is removing federal funding from colleges that don't comply with the COLUMBIA Act a fair way to combat antisemitism, or does it infringe on the autonomy of educational institutions?
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Do you believe the presence of an 'antisemitism monitor' on campus would make students feel more safe or more scrutinized?
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How do you feel about the government instituting 'antisemitism monitors' at colleges in response to protests?