https://www.axios.com/2024/04/26/antisemitism-monitor-colleges-columbia-israel
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.
Driving the news: 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.
What they're saying: "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."
Zoom out: The bill's introduction comes as college campuses have become ground zero for a national fight over antisemitism and the Israel-Hamas war.
At least 10 House members, including Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), have gone to Columbia this week to denounce campus antisemitism and criticize the college's administration
Several high-profile House progressives have also gone to colleges in recent days to show their solidarity with demonstrators.
We're entering normal times