What did president gay say to congress

In a speech delivered at Harvard Hillel, Gay announced the formation of an advisory group on antisemitism. She later announced that University officials would work with the advisory group to develop education and training for affiliates on antisemitism. The University had previously only announced training and education for affiliates on antisemitism.

Though the lawmakers grilled Gay and her fellow witnesses for nearly six hours, the hearing also provided several moments for Gay to strongly defend herself and the University. Gay said her immediate concern was determining whether any Harvard students and faculty were in Israel and if they needed support from the University in leaving the country.

She noted that she attended a solidarity dinner with students at Harvard Hillel on Oct. Gay released yet another University-wide statement the next day, a video message rejecting calls to punish students speaking out against Israel. Tim Walberg R-Mich. Later in the hearing, Rep.

Elise M. During the hearing, the three presidents again faced calls to derecognize student groups that spoke out against Israel in the days following the Oct. Eric W. Burlison R-Mo. Though Harvard does not have an official SJP chapter, the University does have several pro-Palestine student groups across its campuses.

Some also called for students involved to be publicly named. When asked if calling for the genocide of Jews violates the code of conduct, Gay delivered a similar statement. All three university presidents returned to the line of demarcation between free speech and prohibited conduct multiple times throughout the hearing.

Stefanik seemed frustrated after Gay repeatedly declined to state whether the pro-Palestine chants cross the line into impermissible conduct. Lawmakers grilled the three university presidents over the course of six intensive hours — occasionally repeating near-identical lines of questioning as their colleagues.

While many questions from committee members focused on the manifestation of antisemitism on college campuses and the steps — or lack thereof — the three universities are taking to combat it, some members of Congress used their time to address other issues.

Five Takeaways from Harvard President Claudine Gay’s Testimony Before Congress

Several representatives, including Rep. Joe Wilson R-S. Aaron P. Bean R-Fla. All three presidents said their universities did not collect such demographic data, which Wilson and Bean took to indicate a lack of diversity. Other committee members asked the presidents about sources of foreign funding, accusing the institutions of receiving funding from the governments of Qatar and China.

Mark A. Instead, Takano said, the committee Republicans held the hearing to score political points and take aim at elite institutions of higher education. Nick Barley, the deputy communications director for the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Takano took particular aim at Stefanik, who dominated the hearing and regularly raised her voice at the witnesses. Fellow Republicans repeatedly yielded their time to Stefanik to allow her to ask additional, aggressive questions — the vast majority of which she aimed at Gay.

Hamid and Elias J.