Ways and Means Committee chair warns elite schools about loss of tax-exempt status for campus anti-Semitism
Harvard, UPenn, MIT and Cornell received a letter from Committee Chair Jason Smith after various reports of unchecked anti-Semitism on their respective campuses
'Condemning barbaric terrorism against Israel and disgusting antisemitism should not be difficult,' Smith wrote.
One of the most influential U.S. House committees may reconsider the tax-exempt status of several elite universities.
The Ways and Means Committee is specifically looking into Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Cornell University after various reports of unchecked anti-Semitism on their respective campuses.
Congressman and Committee Chair Jason Smith sent a letter on Jan. 10 to the presidents of the four institutions in which he warned about the potential revocation of tax-exempt status, alongside other benefits the schools are currently receiving.
The congressman begins the document by expressing “concern” about the “lack of an appropriate response” and lack of “support for Jewish people and students” following the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on Israel and subsequent dramatic increases in anti-Semitism at American college campuses.
Smith goes on to outline the federal benefits that each of the universities currently receives, including tax-exempt status, federal grants and appropriations, support for student loan assistance, and “ advantageous tax treatment of your institutions’ endowments.”
However, Smith notes that each of these benefits comes with “certain standards” such as compliance with “relevant anti-discrimination laws.” He writes that to be eligible for “tax-deductible contributions,” institutions must provide instruction to their students that is “useful to the individual and beneficial to the community.”
Smith calls the universities’ responses to the Hamas attacks and subsequent support for Jewish students “disappointing” and “lackluster.” The letter specifically points to the recent congressional testimonies of former Harvard President Claudine Gay, former UPenn President Liz Magill, and MIT President Sally Kornbluth in which they failed to unequivocally condemn calls for genocide against the Jewish people.
“Condemning barbaric terrorism against Israel and disgusting antisemitism should not be difficult,” Smith writes. “Protecting Jewish students on campus as you protect other students, should not be a challenge. This is not that hard.”
The letter also requests that the four universities provide additional information to the committee by Jan. 24, including their policies relating to student free speech rights, how they plan on fulfilling their educational purpose for Jewish students, whether their DEI departments “serve Jewish students on campus,” and how they plan on protecting Jewish students in order to comply with anti-discrimination laws.
[RELATED: Students across country aware of ‘hostile environment toward Jews’ on campus: study]
A spokesperson for each of the universities has told CNN that they have received the letter and will cooperate with the committee.
Campus Reform has contacted Harvard University, Cornell University, MIT, and the University of Pennsylvania for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
