No. 2 House Republican Steve Scalise Says Harvard’s Accreditation May Be in Jeopardy

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) warned that Harvard’s accreditation could be revoked under a second Trump administration during in a private Oct. 1 meeting between Scalise and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a pro-Israel lobbying group.

“Your accreditation is on the line,” Scalise said, according to recordings first reported by The Guardian on Wednesday. “You’re not playing games any more or else you’re not a school any more.”

Though Harvard has already been engaged in a contentious back-and-forth with congressional Republicans over the University’s handling of antisemitism on campus, Scalise’s remarks indicate that Harvard’s relationship with Washington could further deteriorate during a second Trump administration and keep Harvard at the center of a national battle over the future of higher education.

“We’re looking at federal money, the federal grants that go through the science committee, student loans,” Scalise said. “You have a lot of jurisdiction as president, with all of these different agencies that are involving billions of dollars, some cases a billion alone going to one school.”

A Harvard spokesperson declined to comment on Scalise’s remarks. A spokesperson for Scalise did not respond to a request for comment.

Government-certified accreditation is required for colleges and universities to receive federal student loans, research grants, and other federal funds. While six congressional committees are already investigating Harvard’s federal funding, Scalise said that the Department of Education could revoke accreditation on “day one” of a Trump administration.

While the Education Department does not directly grant accreditation, it does certify agencies such as the New England Commission of Higher Education — which has accredited Harvard.

Trump himself has said the accreditation system would be his “secret weapon” against universities, pledging in a March campaign video to fire “radical left” accreditors and replace them with agencies that will remove “all Marxist diversity, equity, and inclusion bureaucrats.”

Although extremely unlikely, losing accreditation would jeopardize all of Harvard’s $676 million in annual federal funding.

In the year since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks on Israel, Harvard has emerged as an easy target for many Republicans.

Rep. Elise M. Stefanik ’06 (R-N.Y.), the fourth-ranking House Republican, emerged as one of the University’s most fierce critics in Congress as she led the charge against former Harvard President Claudine Gay.

In a statement on Wednesday, Stefanik criticized Harvard for not doing enough to discipline the members of a pro-Palestine student group that published a controversial statement about the anniversary of Oct. 7.

“Harvard University has once again refused to condemn and discipline the pro-Hamas mob on campus, instead inviting another school year filled with antisemitism and anti-Israel hate,” Stefanik said.

Though some Democrats have also harshly criticized Harvard’s response to campus antisemitism, Scalise’s comments demonstrate how the University may face additional challenges if Trump wins back the White House in November.

Former No. 2 House Democrat Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said in an interview with The Crimson on Thursday that the government should not “be in the business of intimidating educational institutions.”

Still, Hoyer acknowledged that Harvard must do more to combat campus antisemitism.

“Educational institutions are not immune from criticism,” Hoyer said.

Other House Democrats, however, including Rep. Jake D. Auchincloss ’10 (D-Mass.) and Rep. Josh S. Gottheimer (D-N.J.) — both Harvard alumni — have made public demands of the University.

According to the Guardian, Scalise specifically listed Harvard for losing accreditation alongside the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia University, all of which have been at the center of national attention for their response to campus protests.

Scalise did not, however, distinguish between criticism of Israel and antisemitism in the conversation with AIPAC, a powerful pro-Israel lobbying group that has donated more than $40 million dollars in 2024 election cycle. Instead, Scalise called protests against Israel “unacceptable in America.”

“If you’re a college that is violating the civil rights of your students, we’re taking away your accreditation. We have that ability,” he said.

—Contributing writers Diego García Moreno, Alexandra M. Kluzak, and Claire A. Michal contributed reporting.

—Staff writer Emma H. Haidar can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on X @HaidarEmma.

—Staff writer Cam E. Kettles can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on X @cam_kettles.