Press Releases

Today, Education and Workforce Committee Chairman Tim Walberg (R-MI) delivered the following remarks, as prepared for delivery, at the March on Washington for Jewish Civil Rights:

"Good afternoon. I am Chairman Tim Walberg, and I am pleased to address you at today’s March on Washington for Jewish Civil Rights. 

"As Chairman of the Education and Workforce Committee, I’ve been working hard to combat the antisemitism plaguing our college campuses in the wake of Hamas’ brutal terrorist attack on Israel. My Committee will continue to investigate this scourge. University leaders must be held accountable when they fail to address antisemitism—which happens far too often. 

"Fighting antisemitism means we must understand it. We have seen college protestors wave signs with slogans like, 'Anti-Zionism does not equal antisemitism' to justify hostile intimidation of Jewish students and faculty. That’s a false narrative. Federal law requires institutions to respond to harassment of Jewish students however that harassment is dressed up. 

"When college administrators refuse to acknowledge this reality, they become part of the problem. By refusing to act, university presidents tell the world that antisemitic harassment will not be punished—and in some cases, it may even be encouraged.

"Antisemitic ideology has infiltrated not only higher education, but K-12 schools as well. Test scores remain stagnant or continue to decline—but instead of addressing this crisis, many teachers and bureaucrats are focused on indoctrinating America’s youth to hate Jews. 

"These efforts have dangerous, real-world consequences. According to Stopbullying.gov, antisemitic incidents in K-12 schools rose by 135 percent in 2023. In the last five years, hate crimes have more than doubled, with Jewish students being among the top targets.  

"For students to learn and thrive, they must feel safe. Jewish students, like all students, deserve to feel safe and welcome in the classroom. 

"As I leave you all today, I want to reaffirm my Committee’s commitment to combating antisemitism in our education system. We stand resolute in our efforts to keep Jewish students and faculty safe and to getting our education system back to its core mission of preparing our students for success. Thank you."

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