Congress
The Government Inquiries Hounding Harvard
Harvard and its expanding legal arm are challenging 12 federal agencies in court. But beyond the high-profile lawsuits, Harvard faces at least 10 federal investigations — and more hard choices.
House Narrowly Passes GOP Tax Bill Targeting Harvard’s Endowment with 21 Percent Tax
The U.S. House of Representatives passed a sweeping Republican-backed tax and spending bill Thursday that would impose a 21 percent tax on Harvard’s endowment returns — the latest in a series of federal measures inflicting harsh financial penalties on the University.
House Republicans Threaten To Subpoena Harvard in Antitrust Probe, Despite Extended Document Submission Deadline
The House Judiciary Committee is prepared to subpoena Harvard for allegedly failing to submit documents requested as part of an antitrust tuition collusion investigation launched earlier this month, according to a House staffer familiar with the plans.
6 Members of Congress Call for Release of HMS Researcher
Five U.S. Representatives and a D.C. delegate sent the Trump administration a letter demanding the release of Harvard Medical School researcher Kseniia Petrova on Tuesday, adding their voices to a growing group of legislators criticizing her arrest.
House Oversight Committee Launches Investigation Into Harvard, Requests Documents Related to Trump’s Demands
Republicans on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform opened an investigation on Thursday into alleged civil rights violations at Harvard over its response to campus antisemitism.
Headway Over Headlines: Congressman James Clyburn Discusses Democrats’ Weaknesses in ‘Branding’
Congressman James E. Clyburn (D-S.C.), former Assistant Democratic Leader and House Majority Whip, encouraged his party to reevaluate its public image and ideological coherence during a Monday evening IOP forum.
Congressional Republicans Launch Investigation Into Harvard, Other Ivies for Possible Antitrust Violations
House and Senate Republicans launched an antitrust probe on Tuesday accusing Harvard and other Ivy League universities of colluding to hike tuition prices — lawmakers’ latest move to widen government scrutiny of elite institutions.
Nancy Mace Touts Bipartisanship, Warms To Harvard Students in IOP Visit
The night before Rep. Nancy R. Mace (R-S.C.) came to Harvard, she described its campus as enemy territory. But after her visit, she said her opinion of Harvard students had changed for the better, according to three people who attended her Thursday event at the Institute of Politics.
Rep. Pramila Jayapal Says Democrats Should Play Hardball Ahead of Government Shutdown
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) said Democrats in Congress may need to pull support for spending ahead of a looming government shutdown in an effort to be “good negotiators” at an Institute of Politics forum on Thursday.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu ’07 Holds Her Ground in House Oversight Committee Questioning
As congressional Republicans grilled Democratic mayors over their cities’ sanctuary policies in a Wednesday hearing, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu ’07 stuck to her message: Boston is the safest major city in the country, and its sanctuary policies help keep it that way.
Rep. Nancy Mace Mocks Harvard Students. And She Can’t Wait To Talk With Them.
One day before Rep. Nancy R. Mace’s planned talk at Harvard’s Institute of Politics, the firebrand South Carolina Republican was still lacing into the University online and in an interview with The Crimson.
As It Happened: Wu Defends Boston’s Sanctuary City Policies Before House Committee
Boston mayor Michelle Wu ’07 arrived at the Capitol Wednesday morning to testify before the Congressional Committee on Oversight and Government on Boston’s sanctuary city policies. Follow The Crimson for live updates.
Mayor Wu Agrees to Testify Before Congress on Boston’s Status as Sanctuary City
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu ’07 announced on Monday that she will head to Washington, D.C. to testify on Boston’s status as a sanctuary city before the Congressional Committee on Oversight and Government.
Massachusetts’ Congressional Delegation Denounces Trump’s First Day in Office
As Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th President of the United States, Massachusetts’ representatives in Congress were quick to warn their constituents about his second term.
Ten Stories That Shaped 2024
At Harvard, 2024 began with an ending — the chaotic close of Claudine Gay’s short-lived presidency. It would not be a quiet year. Pro-Palestine student protesters staged an encampment in Harvard Yard. Congress expanded its investigation into campus antisemitism, issuing threats alongside blistering reports. Amid it all, Alan M. Garber ’76 quietly ascended from the interim presidency to a permanent post at Harvard’s helm. Here, The Crimson looks back at 10 stories that shaped the University, and Cambridge, in 2024.
House Republicans Threaten Funding Cuts, Endowment Tax After Yearlong Antisemitism Probe
Top House Republicans, including House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), urged Congress to more aggressively enforce Title VI antidiscrimination provisions against universities and reiterated threats to strip federal research funding over allegations of antisemitism in a report released Thursday.
Garber Privately Tells Faculty That Harvard Must Rethink Messaging After GOP Victory
Harvard President Alan M. Garber ’76 said the turn against higher education in Washington posed a greater threat to the University than anything in recent memory, making his most direct comments yet on Republicans’ sweep to power during a closed-door session of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.
Dean Phillips Says He May Consider Third Party Options if Democrats Don’t Change
U.S. Representative Dean Phillips (D-MN3) criticized Democrats at a joint Harvard Law School and Harvard Kennedy School event, saying his party has lost its way.
Harvard Officials Wanted Harsher Discipline for Student Protesters, Report Shows
Top University officials privately lambasted the schools’ disciplinary committees for not imposing harsher penalties on students who participated in the pro-Palestine protests that rocked Harvard’s campus earlier this year.
Trump Names Elise Stefanik ’06 as UN Ambassador
President-elect Donald Trump nominated Rep. Elise M. Stefanik ’06 to serve as the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, elevating a longtime ally to one of the top foreign policy posts in his administration.
Why Donald Trump’s Return Could Spell Trouble for Harvard
Donald Trump’s victory will give Harvard officials plenty to worry about as they wait to see whether Republicans make good on their threats to cut federal funding for universities and raise taxes on endowments.
Harvard College Dean Khurana Accused of Misrepresenting Professor’s Actions in Congress Report
Classics professor Richard F. Thomas accused College Dean Rakesh Khurana of falsely characterizing another professor’s role in the pro-Palestine encampment during a faculty meeting this week.
House Committee Reveals Private Deliberations Behind Harvard’s Disastrous October 9 Statement
In a tense exchange of emails and text messages two days after Hamas attacked Israel, 18 top Harvard administrators collectively drafted — and watered down — a public statement that backfired, drawing wide condemnation and ultimately contributing to Claudine Gay’s resignation as president.
Harvard Law School Professors Discuss Legal Frameworks for Challenging Election Outcomes
Less than one week before the 2024 U.S. presidential election, Harvard Law School professors Laurence Lessig and Larry Schwartztol gathered in Langdell Hall to discuss legal methods of challenging election results through the electoral college at a Wednesday talk.
Hakeem Jeffries Says Dems Will Let Investigations Into Harvard ‘Run Their Course’
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said Democrats will let the ongoing congressional investigations into Harvard “run their course” during a press conference Wednesday morning.