by Bethany Blankley
Republican U.S. senators have introduced a bill to ban student loan forgiveness for protesters convicted of crimes during protests on U.S. college campuses.
The Prohibiting Assistance to Offenders on Campuses Act was introduced by U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., along with multiple co-sponsors. The bill would prevent a college or university student who is convicted of any crime under federal or state law while protesting an institution of higher education from having his or her federal student loans discharged, canceled, discharged, or modified.
Even though the U.S. Supreme Court struck down President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness program last June, his administration has proposed up-to-date student loan forgiveness plans that could cost taxpayers up to $1.4 trillion, The Center Square reported.
Senators who oppose Biden’s plans proposed the bill after widespread anti-Semitic protests continue to occur on campuses across the country, resulting in violence against Jewish students and the cancellation of in-person learning and graduations. In the last few weeks alone, hundreds of students across the country have been arrested on charges of disturbing the peace, trespassing, alleged hate crimes and acts of violence.
“Americans who never went to college or responsibly paid off their debts should not have to pay off other people’s student loans. “Especially they should not be forced to repay the loans of Hamas sympathizers who close and destroy campuses,” Cotton said.
U.S. Rep. Brandon Williams, D-N.Y., who is sponsoring companion legislation in the House, said: “Violent campus protesters are ridiculously demanding respect, amnesty, and even takeout food. Our bicameral bill ensures that not a single protesting student convicted of a crime will be saved through student loan forgiveness. Not one penny of taxpayers’ money will fund these criminals.”
No Democrat signed onto Cotton’s bill. Republican co-sponsors are: Sens. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Katie Britt of Alabama, Mike Crapo of Idaho, Ted Cruz of Texas, Steve Daines of Montana, Deb Fischer of Nebraska, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Josh Hawley of Missouri, Cindy Hyde-Smith and Roger Wicker of Mississippi , Roger Marshall of Kansas, James Risch of Idaho, Mitt Romney of Utah, Marco Rubio of Florida, Tim Scott of South Carolina, Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Tommy Tuberville of Alabama and J.D. Vance of Ohio.
Last month, Cotton also led another delegation of 27 U.S. senators in calling on the Departments of Justice and Education to immediately respond to “an outbreak of anti-Semitic, pro-terrorist mobs on college campuses.”
They called on the Department of Education and federal law enforcement “to restore order, prosecute mobs that perpetuate violence and threats against Jewish students, revoke the visas of all foreign nationals (such as exchange students) who have participated in promoting terrorism, and hold school administrators accountable, who stood by instead of protecting their students,” The Center Square reported. At the time, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights was investigating approximately 100 incidents at colleges and universities for alleged “discrimination on the basis of common ancestry” in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 ., according to The Center Square.
Following the October 7 Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel, anti-Semitism and violence against Jews in America increased by almost 400 percent, The Center Square reported. Since then, violence has escalated on college campuses and leaders have failed to stop it report found.
Hamas, tiny for Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiya (Islamic Resistance Movement), was designated a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. Department of State in 1997. “It is the largest and most capable militant group in the Palestinian territories and one of the two major political parties in this territory,” says the National Center for Combating Terrorism.
More than a dozen federal judges have pledged not to hire Columbia University students after its leaders allowed pro-Hamas encampments to set up on its property, decided to close in-person learning and cancel graduations. Judges say Colombia has become an ‘incubator of bigotry’ against Jewish people, The Center Square reported.
Several Jewish groups did this as well defendant Palestinian groups, in their opinion, are “collaborators and propagandists of Hamas.” They argue that calling for the death of Jews and committing violence against Jews is not protected speech under the First Amendment.
Cotton’s bill was also filed after nearly all Ivy League universities received failing grades for anti-Semitism, The Center Square reported. These include Harvard, whose student group hosted pro-Palestinian activist associated with Hamas; Brown, i.e considering separation from Israel; and Yale, whose student newspaper editor was stabbed in the eye by a Hamas supporter.
According to Central Square voter pollonly 2 percent of Americans surveyed said public universities should encourage students to oppose Israel; 32 percent said students advocating Jewish genocide in tax-funded schools should be held accountable for their words and actions.
– – –
Bethany Blankley is a contributor Central Square.
“Protester Arrested” photo by Beckera1999. CC BY 2.0.
