New York [US], April 18: The lawmakers wrote to Harvard University , requesting documents on recruitment, diversity programs and pro-Palestinian protests on campus last year, according to AFP.
The letter, signed by House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer and Rep. Elise Stefanik (the Republican's fourth-highest ranking leader in the U.S. House of Representatives), comes as U.S. President Donald Trump is exerting unprecedented pressure on Harvard University. the oldest and wealthy university of the United States .
Comer and Stefanik criticized Harvard University President Alan Garber for refusing the White House's request for oversight. After denying the request, Harvard University was frozen $2.2 billion in funding by the Trump administration and threatened further retaliation.
"Harvard is clearly so incapable or unwilling to prevent unlawful discrimination that the organization, under his direction, refuses to enter into a reasonable settlement agreement proposed by federal officials to bring Harvard back into compliance with the law. No matter how serious your behavior is, no organization has the right to violate the law," the Republican congressmen wrote in a letter to Garber.
Also on April 17, President Trump told reporters that Harvard University's behavior was "horrible," accusing the school of being anti-Semitic.
Trump has said Harvard should end government research contracts and tax exemptions, while administration officials have threatened to ban Harvard University from enrolling foreigners, which now make up more than a quarter of its student body.
There is no information about Harvard University's response to the Republican congressmen's investigation, nor President Trump's new statement. On April 16, a spokesperson for Harvard University stressed that the university maintained its statement this week that it "does not give up its right to independence or give up its constitutional rights," while vowing to abide by the law.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper