House Passes Resolution Condemning University Presidents' Testimony on Antisemitism

The House passed a bipartisan resolution on Wednesday that condemns antisemitism on college campuses and the testimony of three prominent university presidents at a recent congressional hearing. The resolution criticizes the presidents of Harvard, MIT, and the University of Pennsylvania for being "evasive and dismissive" when questioned about their response to calls for the genocide of Jews and for failing to condemn such actions.

Following the widespread criticism of the testimony, University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill resigned over the weekend. The resolution calls for Harvard President Claudine Gay and MIT President Sally Kornbluth to also step down. The resolution was approved by a vote of 303-126, with 125 Democrats and one Republican voting against it, and three Democrats abstaining.

House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik of New York, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana, and Democratic Representatives Jared Moskowitz of Florida and Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey introduced the resolution. Stefanik gained attention for her viral questioning of university presidents. In response to Magill stepping down from her position, Stefanik had a sharp comment: "One down. Two to go."

The university presidents' testimonies have faced strong criticism and close examination from business leaders, donors, and lawmakers. This comes at a time when antisemitism has been a prominent issue following the October 7 Hamas terror attack on Israel and the Israel-Hamas war.

At the hearing, the school leaders did not state explicitly that advocating for the genocide of Jews would automatically go against their code of conduct. Instead, they indicated that it would depend on the specific circumstances and behavior.

The university's board has unanimously expressed its support for Gay, providing significant cover for her to remain in her position as Harvard President. Gay recently issued an apology in an interview with the Harvard Crimson. Similarly, the MIT Corporation's Executive Committee issued a statement last week reaffirming their full and unreserved support for Kornbluth.

This story and headline have been updated with additional developments.

CNNs Matt Egan and Jedd Rosche contributed.