Mark Harris

College presidents need to be held accountable for antisemitism on their school campuses, Rep. Mark Harris, R-N.C., told Newsmax on Wednesday.

Harris, appearing on Newsmax's "Wake Up America," made the comments as Israel marked the third anniversary of Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack, which killed about 1,200 people and resulted in 251 others being taken hostage.

"We've seen the rise in antisemitism here in our own country," Harris said. "We've been trying to do things with Education and Workforce Committee that I have the honor of serving on to really shine the light on the problem."

Harris said the House committee has used hearings and other congressional action to scrutinize universities and "hold them accountable, college presidents, for what's taking place on these college campuses" while protecting students.

The House Education and Workforce Committee has conducted an extensive investigation into campus antisemitism since the Oct. 7 attack.

In March, the Republican-led committee released a report concluding that leaders at multiple universities continued to fail to provide sufficiently strong leadership against antisemitic harassment.

The report also accused some faculty and student groups of contributing to hostile environments for Jewish students.

A separate report from the bipartisan U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, released Sept. 28, examined how colleges and federal agencies have responded to allegations of antisemitism since Oct. 7, including whether universities met their obligations under Title VI while respecting free speech and academic freedom.

The House also passed legislation last month aimed at preventing colleges participating in certain federal programs from engaging in discriminatory boycotts of Israel or treating Israeli students and academic institutions differently.

Harris said Wednesday that Americans must remember the scale of the Hamas attack.

"It's important that we always remember and never forget what happened three years ago today," Harris said, recalling images of Hamas terrorists pouring across Israel's border when he woke up.

Harris also discussed President Donald Trump's efforts to lower fuel costs for farmers and truckers, arguing that relief is particularly important during harvest season.

The North Carolina Republican said Congress should take additional action to lower prices, noting that he supported legislation from Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., that was aimed at providing relief but did not reach the House floor before lawmakers left for recess.

"We all recognize what's going on here," Harris said. "I think it's important for us to give some Americans some relief, and this is an opportunity to do so."

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