House approves resolution demanding MIT, Harvard presidents resign after antisemitism testimony

Athora Akter

The House of Representatives voted in favor of a resolution calling on the presidents of Harvard and MIT to resign following last week’s hearing on antisemitism

In a vote on Wednesday evening, representatives passed the resolution by a vote of 303-126. It required two-thirds to pass, or 290 votes.

The bill was introduced by House Republican Conference Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., and Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J.

“President Magill has resigned, and the other Presidents should follow suit,” the resolution states.

Stefanik commented on the resolution’s passage, calling it a “historic bipartisan effort to stand for moral truth.”

“The world is watching as Members from both sides of the aisle stand resolutely with the Jewish people to condemn antisemitism on university campuses and the morally bankrupt testimony of the Harvard, MIT, and Penn university presidents during last week’s House Committee on Education and the Workforce hearing,” Stefanik wrote on X. “It is disappointing and revealing that 128 Democrats chose to vote against condemning antisemitism on college campuses and the pathetic and abhorrent testimony of the university presidents.”

During the hearing on antisemitism, then-University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill, Harvard President Claudine Gay, and MIT President Sally Kornbluth all gave “evasive” answers when asked by Stefanik if calls for the genocide of Jews would violate their institution’s policies on bullying and harassment.

“If the speech turns into conduct, it can be harassment. Yes,” Magill responded, later adding, “It is a context-dependent decision.”

“It can be, depending on the context,” Gay responded.

Kornbluth responded to the question, saying it would be considered harassment only if it’s “targeted at individuals, not making public statements” and if it was “pervasive and severe.”

In an earlier statement to Fox News Digital, an MIT spokesperson said that “MIT and our president, Sally Kornbluth, reject antisemitism in all its forms,” and pointed to a statement from the school’s governing board.