Scalise calls on Biden to stop blocking aid to Israel

WASHINGTON DC— Today, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) joined Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), the conference chair Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) and Rep. Debbie Lesko. (R-Ariz.) to discuss investigations by House Republicans into federal funding of universities that violate the rights of their Jewish students by allowing anti-Semitic mobs to take over their campuses. Leader Scalise also called on the Biden administration to stop withholding aid passed by Congress to Israel against Hamas.

Click on here or the image above to see Leader Scalise’s full remarks.

On the lack of support from university presidents for Jewish students:

“Last week, you saw the House overwhelmingly pass a bill to combat the anti-Semitism we see on college campuses across the United States. If only these university presidents would do their job in protecting their students, the Jewish students who are under threat every day. Right now, as finals approach, some schools are canceling in-person classes and in-person finals because they don’t want to protect their students from anti-Semitism. It is shameful. And we have called for the resignation of university directors who are not doing their job.”

On the need to hold accountable university presidents and leaders who refuse to protect Jewish students from anti-Semitic attacks:

“You saw a few days ago here on this stage, The Chairman (Johnson) is leading an effort involving six of our various standing committees, to finally tap into the money. The billions and billions of dollars of taxpayer money that these universities receive, some with requirements like Title Six, that ensure they protect their students. And these universities are not meeting their legal obligations since they accept these billions of dollars. We’re going to dig into this.

“You see it this week with the Oversight Committee, calling on Mayor Bowser, to hold her accountable for the fact that when George Washington (University) was under siege by one of these mobs, as you see in so many Other campuses, they called the police and Mayor Bowser’s administration told the police not to go help. That’s the job of the police. The police want to do this job, they want to keep people safe. . And when you have elected leaders telling police not to keep students safe, you’ll see that House Republican majority take action to hold those leaders accountable. And so you’ll see that from every relevant standing committee, we’re going to follow the money; we are going to bring in more university directors.

On the Biden administration’s suspension of aid to Israel:

“This is not going to end. And I’m sure the President (Johnson) will talk more about it as well. But this House has come together to support a program of aid to Israel, our dear ally in the Middle East, which has been under attack since October 7. They are currently on the ground fighting a terrorist organization, Hamas. And we passed an aid package that is currently blocked by the Biden administration. It’s time for the Biden administration to stop blocking aid to Israel. Congress came together in a very bipartisan way to pass this much-needed aid so we can take down a terrorist organization that has killed Israelis, that has killed Americans, and that still holds approximately 130 hostages. And the Biden administration will suspend aid to Israel. We will continue to oppose this.