U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik representing New York's 21st Congressional District | Official U.S. House headshot
U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik representing New York's 21st Congressional District | Official U.S. House headshot
House Republican Leadership Chairwoman Elise Stefanik spoke on CNBC's Squawk Box, discussing holding higher education institutions accountable. Her focus was on President Trump's proposal to withhold funding from Harvard University due to what she described as a failure to protect Jewish students from antisemitism on campus.
Stefanik highlighted concerns of skyrocketing antisemitism at elite universities, such as Harvard and Columbia, since October 7th. "These schools are not entitled to U.S. taxpayer dollars if they're not living up to the standards and not protecting civil rights of Jewish students on campus," she said. Stefanik criticized the universities for not enforcing rules against antisemitic acts and for protecting free speech selectively.
On the topic of Harvard's alleged history of antisemitism, she referred to issues related to the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) at Harvard, alleging its roots are antisemitic. She mentioned that withholding U.S. taxpayer dollars is a way to initiate change. "If these universities choose not to take taxpayer dollars and want to continue going down that road, that is their choice," she stated.
Stefanik also expressed concerns over a lack of ideological diversity and protection of free speech at Harvard, citing her personal experience of being removed from a board due to her speech on the House floor. "If you look at the ideological diversity, there is nearly zero ideological diversity at Harvard," she noted.
She discussed a letter from the Trump Administration to Harvard that criticizes the university for its leftist leanings and alleged antisemitism, stating that these actions are contrary to academic excellence and scholarly pursuits. Stefanik emphasized that the issue of higher education accountability was significant in the recent elections, as people are concerned about taxpayer dollars supporting institutions they feel do not uphold American values.
Additional highlights from Stefanik's interview are available in the full version, which can be accessed for more detailed insights into the discussion.
Alerts Sign-up