"It is an absolute failure of the university's commitment to students, staff, and supporters that they have allowed the institution to be overrun and terrorized."
By Congressman Randy Weber
Texas Insider Report: (WASHINGTON, D.C.) – What we're seeing on these college campuses across the country is disgusting and unacceptable. Universities must protect students instead of allowing pro-Hamas supporters to take over campuses and spew HATE.
Hamas is a terrorist organization. This is America – Antisemitism has no place here and will not be tolerated.
As co-chair of the House Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism, I will continue to fight and speak out against all forms of antisemitism and work to protect our Jewish brothers and sisters. Last week, I joined a letter to Columbia University Alumni & Donors:
As Members of Congress, we urge donors and individuals affiliated with Columbia University to condemn the antisemitic incidents occurring on the university’s campus by pulling donations and support for the university until there are demonstrable changes in leadership, including the resignation of Columbia University President Minouche Shafik. The university should also provide a thorough review of all school funding and investigate the outside forces influencing students and agitators to participate in these disruptive and violent incidents that target and intimidate Jewish students on campus.
In the aftermath of the October 7th attacks by Hamas on Israel, university campuses across the U.S. experienced riots and incidents of antisemitism. Many protests led by anti-Israel groups resulted in intimidation and calls for violence against Jewish students, faculty, and staff. Nowhere is this more evident than at Columbia University.
Last week, the House Education & Workforce Committee held a hearing on Columbia University leadership’s response, where members questioned university leaders, including Columbia University President Shafik, as to why they failed to address campus antisemitism and support for terrorism.
While university leaders claimed they were taking necessary actions to protect students and stop the violence and chaos occurring on campus, Columbia University was again erupting in riots as a ‘Gaza Solidarity Encampment’ was formed on campus. Over the past weekend, incidents in and surrounding the encampment made national headlines as classes at the university were canceled or moved online for the remainder of the school year and more than 100 protesters were arrested.
Columbia Rabbi Elie Buechler urged students to stay at home for their safety, saying in a message to over 300 Jewish students,
In the aftermath of the October 7th attacks by Hamas on Israel, university campuses across the U.S. experienced riots and incidents of antisemitism. Many protests led by anti-Israel groups resulted in intimidation and calls for violence against Jewish students, faculty, and staff. Nowhere is this more evident than at Columbia University.
Last week, the House Education & Workforce Committee held a hearing on Columbia University leadership’s response, where members questioned university leaders, including Columbia University President Shafik, as to why they failed to address campus antisemitism and support for terrorism.
While university leaders claimed they were taking necessary actions to protect students and stop the violence and chaos occurring on campus, Columbia University was again erupting in riots as a ‘Gaza Solidarity Encampment’ was formed on campus. Over the past weekend, incidents in and surrounding the encampment made national headlines as classes at the university were canceled or moved online for the remainder of the school year and more than 100 protesters were arrested.
Columbia Rabbi Elie Buechler urged students to stay at home for their safety, saying in a message to over 300 Jewish students,
“I would strongly recommend you return home as soon as possible and remain home until the reality in and around campus has dramatically improved.”
As of this writing, the encampment has been allowed to reconvene and students remain unsafe as Columbia’s leadership has failed to follow through on the reassurances regarding enforcement that they had just days earlier made to Congress.
We are pleased that many alumni and donors of Columbia are already taking action. Long-time donor Robert Kraft pulled his financial support of the university due to these same reasons.
We encourage all supporters of the university to do the same and call for the resignation of President Shafik. Additionally, we urge all individuals affiliated with the university to call for a transparent and thorough audit of all university funding concerning the anti-Israel movement on campus, and what outside groups are contributing and influencing students and agitators to participate. Columbia University is among the top academic institutions in the country. It is an absolute failure of the university's commitment to students, staff, and supporters that they have allowed the institution to be overrun and terrorized.
We appreciate your urgent attention to this matter.
Drilling Down
Also last week, I joined the Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Energy Policy, and Regulatory Affairs field hearing in Plano, Texas titled, “Drilling Down: Oversight of the Challenges and Opportunities Facing U.S. Energy Production." We discussed the impact the Biden Administration’s policies and regulations have on America’s oil and natural gas industries for the short and long term.
Key Takeaways:
- There are significant benefits to U.S. leadership in energy. Growth in U.S. oil and natural gas production has both lowered global energy prices and reduced carbon emissions.
- “Unfortunately, instead of taking steps to support the production of more energy here at home, the Biden Administration has used every delay tactic and legal maneuver possible to deny Americans access to these resources,” Tim Tarpley, President, Energy Workforce & Technology Council, said during his opening statement.
- As global demand of affordable, reliable access to energy and hydrocarbon materials continues to increase, the U.S. is uniquely positioned to aid in providing these resources – with some of the highest and safest production standards anywhere in the world.
- The Biden Administration’s justification and timing of the Department of Energy’s (DOE) pause on new permitting for LNG exports to non-Free Trade Agreement countries is rooted in election-year politics and contrary to U.S. domestic interests.
- American energy producers, specifically in Texas and other energy- producing states, are engines of economic growth and rely on a talented workforce to evolve and drive innovation.
- America’s leadership in energy has contributed to global economic growth and a significant reduction in poverty.
Foreign Aid Package
On Saturday, the House voted on a series of bills related to our national security. The Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, Indo-Pacific Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, Ukraine Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, and 21st Century Peace through Strength Act.
Here are my thoughts after the votes:
I was particularly proud to stand with our greatest ally, Israel, a key strategic partner that has been under attack by heinous terrorists who want to destroy Israel and the Jewish people. The United States must stand strong with Israel, period.
However, I could not support sending more U.S. dollars to Ukraine. I agree that Putin must be stopped, but it cannot come at the expense of the American people. I have heard from many Texans who feel the same. Instead, we will send billions of dollars to Ukraine without securing our OWN border, which is exploding with millions of illegal immigrants now in the United States. Terrorists, murderers, and thugs are crossing the border and killing our sons and daughters. This MUST end.
After the House passed tens of billions of your taxpayer's dollars to Ukraine, which I did not support, Democrats waved Ukrainian flags on the House Floor.
And, they were shouting “UKRAINE! UKRAINE!” while happily working to secure Ukraine’s borders, not ours.
We need to put America FIRST.
Legislation recently cosponsored:
- H.R. 7649 - Protecting our Communities from Sexual Predators Act
- H.R. 7937 - To terminate the authorities of certain entities of the Federal Government, and for other purposes.
- H.R. 8060 - To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to require the notification of appropriate elected officials prior to the placement of refugees in a State.
- H.R. 8068 - To amend the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 to exclude resources designated as an emergency requirement or any resources provided in supplemental appropriations laws from CBO baseline projections for discretionary appropriations, and for other purposes.
- H.Res. 1019 - Condemning the Nicaraguan Government's unjust imprisonment of individuals affiliated with Mountain Gateway Ministry.
- H.R. 3654 - Transnational Repression Policy Act
- H.R. 7764 - Commission to Study the Potential Transfer of the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History to the Smithsonian Institution Act
- H.R. 8083 - To prohibit Federal funding for National Public Radio, and for other purposes.\H.J.Res. 130 - Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Federal Railroad Administration relating to "Train Crew Size Safety Requirements".
Congressman Randy Weber represents the 14th District of Texas, which includes Freeport LNG, Golden Pass LNG, and Port Arthur LNG. He serves on the House Energy & Commerce Committee, which has the broadest jurisdiction of any legislative committee in Congress, as well as on the House Science Space & Technology Committee, which has jurisdiction over the Department of Energy's, and the EPA's (Environmental Protection Agency) Energy Research & Development Programs, including all Environmental Standards and Research Programs.
