You have /5 articles left.
Sign up for a free account or log in.
Pennsylvania lawmakers, voting along party lines, denied the University of Pennsylvania veterinary school more than $33 million in state funding on Wednesday amid a recent flurry of criticism over allegations of antisemitism on campus, the Associated Press reported.
While House Democrats voted in support, Republicans largely voted to block the funding.
“Until more is done at the university in terms of rooting out, calling out and making an official stance on antisemitism being against the values of the university, I cannot in good conscience support this funding,” House minority leader Bryan Cutler, a Republican, said during the funding debate.
The AP reported that the annual appropriation typically receives strong bipartisan support because of the role the private veterinary school plays in supporting the state’s agricultural sector. The $33 million reportedly represents about 18 percent of the veterinary school’s budget.
Penn has been mired in the national spotlight since September, when administrators permitted a Palestinian literary festival to proceed despite outrage from powerful Jewish organizations and donors. The backlash grew following President Liz Magill’s widely criticized testimony at the Dec. 5 congressional hearing on antisemitism.
Some GOP lawmakers had previously threatened to block funding to the vet school unless Magill resigned. Though she resigned Saturday, that did not appear to change the minds of state officials.
