Mike Johnson Speaks at Columbia University

Thank you all for being here today. We have several members of Congress here, and we're here today at one of America's preeminent academic institutions on a very important day in a very important time. Throughout history, Columbia students have contributed to the great storybook of America's life and thought. Visionary American leaders like Alexander Hamilton and John Jay and the Jewish leader Gershom Seixas knew the self-evident truth that was at the heart of this country, and once, at the heart of this university. And that is that we are endowed by our creator with certain inalienable rights. They should not be infringed. The founders and the great leaders who had come through this institution in the past believed in religious liberty. They believed in democracy. They believed in morality and virtue and the dignity of every human person. They believed in the free exchange of ideas, and they detested mob rule. (01:17) We are standing here right now on the steps of the Low Library. In this very building right behind us, Columbia University once awarded Winston Churchill in an honorary degree, and it was Churchill who said, "It is manifestly right that Jews should have a national home where they may be reunited." We believe in that principle, and today I'm here to proclaim to all those who gnash their teeth and demand to wipe the state of Israel off the map and attack our innocent Jewish students, this simple truth: neither Israel, nor these Jewish students on this campus, will ever stand alone. (01:56) Today, Hamas issued an endorsement statement of the protestors on this campus. They called them the future leaders of America. It is detestable. All of this has to be said because the cherished traditions of this university are being overtaken right now by radical and extreme ideologies. They place a target on the backs of Jewish students in the United States, and here on this campus, a growing number of students have chanted in support of terrorists. They have chased down Jewish students. They have mocked them and reviled them. They have shouted racial epithets. They have screamed at those who bear the star of David. (02:36) Enjoy your free speech. (02:39) They've told Jewish students who wear the star of David to leave the country and shamefully some professors and faculty have joined the mobs. Things have gotten so out of control that the school has canceled in-person classes, and now they've come up with this hybrid model where they will discriminate against Jewish students. They're not allowed to come to class anymore for fear of their lives. And it's detestable. (03:00) As Columbia has allowed these lawless agitators and radicals to take over, the virus of antisemitism is spread across other campuses. By some counts, as many as 200 universities have a similar form of protest right now. At Yale, a Jewish student was stabbed in the eye with a Palestinian flag and 45 students were arrested. At NYU, Pro-Hamas protestors were shouting from the "river to the sea." Anti-Israel encampments are popping up at universities all across this country. (03:35) The madness has to stop. The madness has to stop. We just left a meeting with Jewish students who told us of the heinous acts of bigotry that they have experienced simply because of their faith. Their bravery is inspiring, much more inspiring than some of the activities we're seeing here. They should never have to confront such hate on an American college campus at such a revered institution. (04:00) Antisemitism has been growing in America and it's clear why. Powerful people have refused to condemn it, and some have even peddled it themselves. From university professors to public officials, people in positions of authority have denied the horrific facts of September 11th, 2001, the attacks on the United States that happened right here in New York City, and they've attempted to excuse or to ignore the barbaric attack of Hamas in Israel on October 7th, 2023, where Israeli women and children were savagely raped and murdered, and infants were cooked in ovens. (04:41) Crowds of radical left activists have chanted death to America, and on our own streets in this country, and some public officials have refused to condemn them. Others have openly defended these acts on campus and the harassing and the intimidation and the threatening of innocent Jewish students simply because of who they are. They've called that peaceful protest, and some have even gone as far as calling for the state of Israel to be eliminated. These are words we expect from Ayatollahs in Iran, not American lawmakers, and not American students. And unsurprisingly, it has given way to threats and violence in a generation of students who don't feel safe in their own classrooms or where they live or where they worship. Let me say this very simply, no American of any color or creed should ever have to live under those kinds of threats. That is not who we are in this country. (05:34) Sadly, Columbia's administrators have chosen to let the threats, the fear, and the intimidation of the mob rule to overtake American principles like free speech and the free exchange of ideas and the free exercise of religion. They have co-opted First Amendment arguments to protect genocide and to elevate the voices of antisemitism. They have proven themselves to be incapable of achieving their basic responsibility, which is keeping students safe. We just can't allow this kind of hatred and any antisemitism to flourish on our campuses, and it must be stopped in its tracks. Those who are perpetrating this violence should be arrested. (06:17) I'm here today joining my colleagues in calling on President Shafik to resign if she cannot immediately bring order to this chaos. As Speaker of the House, I am committing today that the Congress will not be silent as Jewish students are expected to run for their lives and stay home from their classes hiding in fear. In the House of Representatives, we've already acted to address antisemitism on campuses. We have passed a number of statutes to address this matter, and we call upon the U.S. Senate to act upon our legislation. I have a couple of my colleagues here that I'd like to share a few words. I'll turn it over first to the chair of the House Education and Workforce Commission, Virginia Foxx, Congresswoman, Virginia Foxx of North Carolina. Virginia.

Thanks, Mr. Speaker. Columbia University is in a freefall. Following the explosion of this antisemitism, the Education and the Workforce Committee started investigating. So far, the Committee has uncovered key failures in the administration's response to the antisemitic attacks and displays embroiling this campus. First, President Shafik presented false testimony to the Committee regarding the removal of Professor Joseph Massad. No action was taken. In addition, the administration has suspended two Jewish students for a made-up 'chemical attack.' So, I have a message for President Shafik, and a message for you all too. The inmates are running the asylum. Take back control of this once-great institution.

That's right.

Take back control of this once great institution. You took action last week. It's time to act again. If not, the Committee will pursue every possible avenue to create a safe learning environment for Jewish students. I yield back.

Next is Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis from here in New York.

Welcome to New York City, Senator.

Yes, indeed.

Well, thank you very much for coming today. I'm so happy to welcome the Speaker to New York City. And we appreciate his leadership in coming here to condemn the antisemitism that has been allowed to fester in this campus. We just met with a group of students who told us that not only have they been bullied, but they've been, many of them, assaulted, they have been spat on. They have had to walk the halls of this campus to see swastikas painted. These are clear examples of anti-Semitism and it's shocking to see that it's happening in the most diverse and welcoming city in america. It is truly outrageous and it's clear that the president of this university cannot control the campus, she cannot and will not hold students who are doing these types of antisemitic activities accountable, and that she cannot keep the students who are of Jewish faith, who pay a lot of money and have worked very hard to get to an Ivy League institution like this, that she cannot keep them safe. And that is why I join my colleagues in calling for her resignation. Thank you.

Next, another Congressman from New York, Anthony D'Esposito.

Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. If you are a protester on this campus and you are proud that you've been endorsed by Hamas, you are part of the problem. When you cheer on the fact that you enjoy Hamas and Hezbollah, you are yourself part of the problem. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to join with you here today in calling for the immediate resignation of the president of Columbia. She has failed her duty. She is not keeping students safe and we see on this campus the hate-filled speech that is carrying through this country.

Right.

Another New York Congressman, Mike Lawler.

Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker, for being here in New York. I want Palestinians to be free too, from their oppressor, Hamas, and every single one of you students that support Hamas are an absolute abomination. It is shameful, shameful, that you would support a terrorist organization that butchered and beheaded and burned innocent women, children and babies. I went to Israel a month after the attack on October 7th and I watched a 21-minute unedited video, raw footage of the attack. I watched exactly what Hamas did and sadly here in America we have students endorsing the butchering and brutality of a terrorist organization. (11:34) If you want a ceasefire, the fastest way for a cease fire to occur is for Hamas to surrender and to release the hostages, and if you can't call for that, you are a pathetic embarrassment to this institution and to students everywhere. It is time for President Shafik to resign in disgrace. She has lost control of this campus. She has lost control of this institution. And after listening to her comments inside, it is clear that she has no intention of getting this university under control and ensuring the safety and well-being of every student. That is what is entitled to students attending this institution. If the students are not safe, if the institution will not act, Congress has a responsibility to do so, and we will.

That's right. I want to thank my colleagues for sharing their thoughts here. I want to say this as well. At the start of the American Revolution, the doors of this institution once known as King's College were closed. When the war ended, the institution reopened and was renamed Columbia College. It was a shift from the tyranny of the monarchy to the freedom at the heart of the American experiment. Now the forces of hatred and oppression, once again, are on the march. They've begun to try to close Columbia's doors to a segment of students. (13:09) To every Jewish student listening to us, no matter where you are around the country, you have my word, the U.S. House of Representatives will do everything in our power to ensure that you are safe, you can freely practice your faith, and you can go to school just like everybody else. We will punish those who have allowed this violence and bigotry to go unchecked. With that, I'll take a few questions. [inaudible 00:13:37] (13:38) We met briefly with the president and top officials right before we came out on the steps here. We encouraged her to take immediate action and stamp this out. Our feeling is that they have not acted to restore order on the campus. This is dangerous. This is not free expression. This is not First Amendment. They are threatening, intimidating, saying they will take violence upon Jewish students. We met with Jewish students who are in fear. They can't come on campus, they can't study for their final exams. This affects everybody's lives and it affects the image that we portray to the world. This is not who we are as Americans and it's time to act like it.

Have you spoken to the President about bringing in the National Guard? I number of senators have done that. Are you urging the President to do that as well?

My intention is to call President Biden after we leave here and share with him what we have seen with our own two eyes and demand that he take action. There is executive authority that'd be appropriate. If this is not contained quickly and if these threats and intimidation are not stopped, there is an appropriate time for the National Guard. We have to bring order to these campuses. We cannot allow this to happen around the country. We are better than this and I'll ask the President to do that and I'll tell him that very same thing.

Mr. Speaker, what is the house going to do? So, you've moved some things, you've done... What is your plan when you get back?

The House has been investigating a number of these campuses. There is a nexus to federal funding. If these campuses cannot get control of this problem, they do not deserve taxpayer dollars. That's a very serious issue. You've seen our Education and Workforce Committee having oversight hearings. We have brought the presidents of these universities to Congress to testify under oath, and you've seen accountability begun there. There'll be much more of that. We'll continue to work on legislation to adjust this at the federal level. This Congress, and I genuinely believe there's bipartisan agreement on this, will stand for what is good and what is right. It does not matter who shouts in our faces. We're going to do what is right by America. We respect free speech. We respect diversity of ideas. But there is a way to do that in a lawful manner and that's not what this is.

Mr. Speaker, some of the student organizers are part [inaudible 00:16:02] antisemitic attacks from Jewish students, from Israeli students than from the group that is in the Capital. So how do you respond to the fact that they say they-

I'm not sure who the aggressors are, but I will tell you that any of that is inappropriate. It's lawlessness. It's chaos. That is not who we are. We believe in the rule of law. That is one of the foundational principles of America and it must be maintained. The college campus used to be the place for respectful debate, for the differences of opinion and the free marketplace of ideas to be discussed. That is not what is happening here. You're intimidating and shouting down people you disagree with. You cannot censor and silence viewpoints you disagree with. That is not American. You do not understand what it means to respect the First Amendment.

What is your message to the students inside the encampment right now?

My message to the students inside the encampment is go back to class and stop the nonsense. Look, if we want to have a debate on campus about the merits of these things, let's do that, but you can't intimidate your fellow students and make them stay home from class. Think about that. Is that right? Do you think that's right? Stop wasting your parents' money, Congressman Lawler says. I think that's right. Last one.

What about the antisemite Jews inside the camp that are celebrating Shabbat?

I don't know who's in that camp over there, but I would tell you that this is unacceptable and the American people are demanding accountability for it. And that's why we made the trip here today. That's why this press conference is important. We want this administration and the administration of every university campus around the country to bring this to account and to bring this lawlessness to an end. That's what we need to do. Thank you.