Congresswoman urges money
to be restored
US Rep. Grace Meng (D-Queens), a co-chair of the House Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Anti-Semitism, criticized the slashing of funds provided to the US Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR), a key government agency that fights discrimination and investigates anti-Semitism on college campuses.
During a House Appropriations Committee proceeding, Republicans passed a bill to cut $10 million from the agency’s 2025 fiscal year budget – a cut that, in the aftermath of the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack in Israel, would significantly undermine efforts to combat the rise in anti-Semitism that Jewish students are facing in New York and across the country.
“I’m deeply disturbed by Republicans’ attempts to cut this funding,” Meng said during the proceeding, as she spoke in favor of an amendment to restore the funding. “The Office of Civil Rights plays a central role in enforcing Title VI protections for students and faculty from all backgrounds who are entitled to a learning environment free from hate and discrimination under federal law.
“Right now, our campuses are facing a crisis of anti-Semitism and hate. According to the latest data from the Anti-Defamation League, this past year was the worst year for anti-Semitic incidents on campus since the ADL began recording them more than four decades ago. These incidents have included verbal and physical harassment and intimidation of students…
“My Republican colleagues are using Jewish students and Jewish trauma to advance a political agenda. But when it’s time to step up and provide the actual resources to protect them on campus, they won’t put their money where their mouth is. If the Office of Civil Rights can’t investigate these cases, not only Jewish students, but students from all backgrounds who need protection will suffer.”
