Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Mike Johnson (R-LA) attends a news conference at Columbia University in reaction to demonstrators protesting in help of Palestinians, amid the ongoing conflict among Israel and the Palestinian Islamist team Hamas, in New York Town, U.S., April 24, 2024.
David Dee Delgado | Reuters
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., struggled to get a word in edgewise Wednesday, battling a refrain of booing crowds in the course of a speech at Columbia College where he condemned the ongoing pupil protests against Israel’s bombardment of Gaza.
“Enjoy your free of charge speech,” Johnson said tersely, pausing his geared up remarks to wait around for the jeering to die down.
Columbia’s campus has been frozen by controversy since college student protesters established up a tent encampment April 17 to protest the war in Gaza.
The demonstrations garnered nationwide attention amid studies of antisemitic speech focusing on Jewish college students, and right after Columbia President Nemat “Minouche” Shafik licensed the New York Law enforcement Office to sweep the tent encampment Thursday.
Columbia Pupils for Justice in Palestine, a team that aided manage the protests, has said that any dislike speech is not coming from its protesters but alternatively “inflammatory people today who do not characterize us.”
Through Johnson’s speech Wednesday, he named on Shafik to resign if she could not get a tackle on the protests.
Johnson added that he ideas to urge President Joe Biden to acquire government motion in opposition to the protests if necessary: “If this is not contained swiftly, and if these threats and intimidation are not stopped, there is an suitable time for the Nationwide Guard.”
Biden has so much condemned both of those the documented antisemitism and “individuals who never have an understanding of what is going on with the Palestinians,” as he put it to reporters Monday.
Johnson’s speech Wednesday came several hours just after Biden officially signed into legislation a extensive-awaited overseas support invoice for Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan that experienced been proficiently shelved in the House for weeks owing to political gridlock.
The measure was revived in huge section due to Johnson’s final decision to put the proposed foreign aid to a vote on the Property flooring Saturday, in spite of ouster threats from hardline associates of his get together this kind of as Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga. The foreign assist monthly bill passed the Residence on Saturday and received formal Senate approval late Tuesday night time.
After much more than a week of bipartisan cooperation with Democrats to move the aid invoice, Johnson’s Columbia speech appeared to be an try to bolster his conservative bona fides for his hardline GOP colleagues.
The speaker was joined by Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., who chairs the House Committee on Education and learning and the Workforce, and Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y.
“My information to the students inside of the encampment is: Go back again to class,” Johnson explained. “Quit wasting your parents’ cash.”