(José Niño, Headline USA) Congress never held a formal investigation into the Oklahoma City bombing, Jeffrey Epstein, or a variety of other scandals with unanswered questions, but Republicans have held nine hearings on antisemitism in the last 18 months.
At least one member of Congress thinks nine is enough. Bobby Scott, D-Va., accused House Republicans of selective attention to campus discrimination during Tuesday’s antisemitism hearing.
Unfortunately for the public, Scott wasn’t pressing for an OKC or Epstein hearing. Rather, he wanted to investigate other forms of racism.
Scott, the committee’s ranking member, began his opening statement by acknowledging the seriousness of combating antisemitism, calling it “a moral and civil priority.” However, he quickly pivoted to his central concern: “I’d be remiss if I did not point out that this is our ninth hearing on antisemitism in 18 months.”
The Virginia congressman underscored what he viewed as a glaring omission in the committee’s priorities, stating that “since this committee’s first antisemitism hearing in December 2023, we’ve not held a single hearing addressing racism, xenophobia, sexism, Islamophobia, or other challenges affecting other student groups on American college campuses.”
"This is our ninth hearing on anti-Semitism in 18 months."
Democratic Rep. Bobby Scott opens House hearing on anti-Semitism by noting there's been ZERO hearings on "racism" and other identity-based grievances but NINE on "anti-Semitism." pic.twitter.com/iaLlofZKlM
— Chris Menahan 🇺🇸 (@infolibnews) July 16, 2025
Scott’s criticism extended beyond the hearing schedule to encompass broader educational policy concerns. He condemned what he characterized as “this committee’s silence on the administration’s wholesale attack on diversity, equity, and inclusion and accessibility (DEIA) initiatives designed to make campuses more welcoming to all groups.”
The congressman argued that if the committee was genuinely serious about addressing antisemitism, it should focus on strengthening the enforcement mechanisms already in place. He advocated for “vigorous enforcement of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act enforced by the Office of Civil Rights in the Department of Education,” while criticizing the committee majority for saying “nothing about the wholesale firings attacking the Office of Civil Rights.”
Scott’s remarks came during a three-hour hearing featuring Georgetown University’s interim president Robert Groves, City University of New York Chancellor Félix Matos Rodríguez, and University of California Berkeley Chancellor Rich Lyons. The hearing marked the latest in a series of congressional examinations of campus antisemitism that began following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel.
Scott concluded his statement by urging the committee to “focus some of your attention to those who have the responsibility to protect students from hate and discrimination, the Office of Civil Rights, or whatever is left of it, and the pressing issues facing colleges and students today.”
Addressing the rise of antisemitism has been a major priority for Congress over the last year.
As Headline USA has previously covered, members of Congress such as Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., have manifested their concerns about the alleged rise of antisemitism across both sides of the political aisle and the need for Congress to take decisive action against this trend.
José Niño is the deputy editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/JoseAlNino
