Latest news with #JoshGruenbaum
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Federal government looks to end contracts with Harvard
May 27 (UPI) -- The Trump administration announced Tuesday it plans to cancel all its contracts with Harvard University. The plan, first reported by The New York Times and confirmed by NBC News and CNN, would instruct federal agencies to sever contracts totaling about $100 million with the university. "The U.S. General Services Administration is assisting all federal agencies in a review for termination or transition of their federal government contracts with Harvard University and affiliates," a letter from Federal Acquisition Service Commissioner Josh Gruenbaum posted by The New York Times said. The letter alleged that "Harvard continues to engage in race discrimination, including in its admissions process and in other areas of student life," a reference to administration's claims that the university has failed to protect its students from anti-Semitic discrimination, and its alleged use of DEI programs and practices in regard to both admissions and consideration of employment. Gruenbaum also claimed in the letter that "troubling revelations have come to light regarding Harvard and its affiliates' potential discriminatory hiring practices, and that it may have violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964, that "Harvard is suspected of engaging in a pattern or practice of disparate treatment in hiring, promotion, compensation, and other personnel related actions." The letter further asserted that "discriminatory practices have been exposed at the Harvard Law Review," and that Harvard has "a disturbing lack of concern for the safety and well-being of Jewish students." The Trump administration announced last week that it had terminated around $450 million in grants to Harvard in addition to the nearly $3.2 billion in contracts and grants and contracts with the college it had frozen in April. The Education Departmentannounced in March that it had started a "comprehensive review of federal contracts and grants at Harvard University and its affiliates," in order to reportedly "ensure the university is in compliance with federal regulations, including its civil rights responsibilities." Harvard then filed a lawsuit in April against the federal government when the White House withdrew its federal funding but offered to reinstate the money if it enforced provisions in relation to on its employment and admissions procedures "as the basis for an agreement in principle that will maintain Harvard's financial relationship with the federal government." The Homeland Security Department had also removed Harvard's ability to enroll foreign students or keep current foreign students registered last week.
Express Tribune
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Trump admin to end $100m in federal contracts with Harvard
Students walk on the campus of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, US, May 23, 2025. PHOTO: REUTERS Listen to article US President Donald Trump's administration plans to terminate the federal government's remaining contracts with Harvard University, according to a letter set to be sent to federal agencies on Tuesday. The letter, from the US General Services Administration, directs all federal agencies to review and potentially terminate or reallocate their contracts with Harvard, which an official valued at about $100 million. Harvard did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The move marked the latest instance of the Republican president's administration moving to undermine the financial stability and global standing of the nation's oldest and wealthiest university after it pushed back on government demands for vast changes to its policies. The government has already terminated nearly $3 billion in federal research grants for the Ivy League school and moved last week to revoke its ability to enroll international students. Those roughly 6,800 students make up about 27% of Harvard's total enrollment. A federal judge in Boston on Friday temporarily blocked the US Department of Homeland Security from revoking foreign student enrollment ahead of a Thursday hearing. During a brief hearing on Tuesday, a lawyer with the US Department of Justice said the administration is complying with that order and was weighing its options. Tuesday's letter from the GSA accused the school of engaging in discriminatory admissions practices even after the US Supreme Court in its 2023 decision ending affirmative action in higher education rejected Harvard's use of race as an admissions factor to boost campus diversity. The letter from Josh Gruenbaum, commissioner of the GSA's federal acquisition service, also accused Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Harvard of discriminatory hiring practices and of failing to protect Jewish students from harassment. Two officials familiar with the matter said the letter will be sent to agencies on Tuesday. The letter directs agencies to submit a list of contract cancellations by June 6 and says contracts for critical services would be transitioned to other vendors. Harvard, which is suing to challenge the administration's actions, has argued the administration in its rush to punish the school has run afoul of various procedures and is violating its free speech rights under the US Constitution's First Amendment by trying to assert control over its staff, curriculum and enrollment. Harvard University President Alan Garber said in an interview with NPR released on Tuesday that while there are problems on its campus that it needs to address, the administration's decisions to cancel grant funding were "perplexing." "As long as there has been a United States of America, Harvard has thought that its role is to serve the nation," he said.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump admin moves to cut all federal contracts with Harvard
The Trump administration directed federal agencies Tuesday to stop doing business with Harvard University in the latest attempt by the government to cut the flow of federal money to the school. All federal agencies were ordered to cut off existing contracts with Harvard or transfer them to other vendors, according to a letter from the U.S. General Services Administration published by the Boston Globe and the New York Times. Read more: Here's everything Trump has stripped from Harvard so far — and what is threatened The administration has accused Harvard of racial discrimination and allowing antisemitism to fester on campus. It has targeted the school increasingly aggressively in recent weeks, including by attempting to withdraw billions in federal funding for research. A federal judge on Friday blocked the government from revoking a key certification Harvard needs to enroll international students, who make up more than a quarter of the student population. The letter sent to federal agencies Tuesday accused Harvard of racial discrimination in its admissions and hiring and said the school has not adequately responded to stem antisemitic harassment of Jewish students. The General Services Administration, which oversees federal contracts, said in the letter that each federal agency should 'consider its contracts with Harvard University and determine whether Harvard and its services efficiently promote the priorities of the agency.' The government's remaining contracts with Harvard are worth an estimated $100 million, according to the New York Times. 'The government has a duty to ensure that procurement dollars are directed to vendors and contractors who promote and champion principles of nondiscrimination and the national interest,' Josh Gruenbaum, the General Services Administration official who authored the letter, wrote. He said government agencies should report their contract cancellations by June 6. How a college closing disaster led to new student protections in Mass. Here's everything Trump has stripped from Harvard so far — and what is threatened Harvard foreign students feel like 'poker chips,' consider transfer after Trump attacks Federal judge blocks Trump admin from revoking Harvard enrollment of foreign students 'Unlawful and unwarranted': Harvard opens 2nd lawsuit against the Trump admin Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump planning to sever remaining federal contracts with Harvard
President Trump is instructing federal agencies to identify and sever remaining contracts with Harvard University, further tightening the screws in the fight with the Ivy League institution. The letter from the General Services Administration (GSA) asks all federal agencies to help in a review to terminate or transition federal government contracts with Harvard and its affiliates. A copy of the letter was shared with The Hill by a source familiar with the matter. The letter accuses Harvard of engaging in racial discrimination, justifying the termination of contracts. 'As relevant here, GSA understands that Harvard continues to engage in race discrimination, including in its admissions process and in other areas of student life,' the letter states, pointing to statistics on Harvard's enrollment. It also accused Harvard of discrimination in its hiring and promotion and of 'anti-Semitic' actions, an apparent reference to pro-Palestinian protests. 'Harvard's ongoing inaction in the face of repeated and severe harassment and targeting of its students has at times grounded day-to-day campus operations to a halt, deprived Jewish students of learning and research opportunities to which they are entitled, and profoundly alarmed the general public,' it stated. Josh Gruenbaum, the commissioner of the GSA's Federal Acquisition Service, signed the letter. 'We recommend that your agency terminate for convenience each contract that it determines has failed to meet its standards, and transition to a new vendor those contracts that could be better serviced by an alternative counterparty,' Gruenbaum wrote. 'Going forward, we also encourage your agency to seek alternative vendors for future services where you had previously considered Harvard,' he added. The Hill has reached out to Harvard for comment. The development marks a continuation of the administration's war with the elite school. The federal government has terminated nearly $3 billion in grants to Harvard, saying the school has not done enough to combat antisemitism on campus and 'race discrimination.' It also comes after Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem ordered Harvard's Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification to be revoked last week, therefore preventing the school from enrolling international students. Harvard sued the Trump administration in response. U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs temporarily blocked the Homeland Security action Friday. Trump wrote Monday that he is considering taking $3 billion of grant money from the Ivy League school and giving it to trade schools around the country. In the Oval Office Friday, the president said, 'Harvard's going to have to change its ways.' Harvard became the primary target of the administration after it refused to bow to demands to change its hiring and admissions policies, as well as eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs on campus. University President Alan Garber warned the funding cuts to Harvard will have devastating effects to the entire country, stifling medical and technological advances. 'Indiscriminately slashing medical, scientific, and technological research undermines the nation's ability to save American lives, foster American success, and maintain America's position as a global leader in innovation,' Garber said. While Harvard has been on the front line of the higher education fight, Trump has made clear these are also warning shots for other universities. 'We're taking a look at a lot of things,' he said when asked if he was also considering taking away the ability of other schools to accept foreign students. Updated at 9:56 a.m. EDT Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Epoch Times
27-05-2025
- Business
- Epoch Times
Trump Admin Seeks to Cut $100 Million in Federal Contracts With Harvard
The Trump administration will request federal agencies to cut off their contracts with Harvard University in response to what it says is the school's handling of anti-Semitism and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. The administration has already canceled around $2.6 billion in federal grants after the university declined to accede to a list of government demands to change policies concerning DEI and anti-Semitism. The university has sued the administration, alleging the move violates the Constitution's free speech protections. There are 30 federal contracts worth about $100 million, according to the General Services Administration (GSA). A letter to the agencies is scheduled to be sent on May 27, a GSA spokesperson told The Epoch Times. It is to 'determine which are non-critical and could be terminated for convenience, and which are critical and should be transitioned to another vendor,' the spokesperson said. The letter said that receiving federal funding is a privilege and not a right. 'Being a counterparty with the federal government comes with the deep responsibility and commitment to abide by all federal laws and ensure the safeguarding of taxpayer money. As fiduciaries to the taxpayer, the government has a duty to ensure that procurement dollars are directed to vendors and contractors who promote and champion principles of nondiscrimination and the national interest,' Josh Gruenbaum, commissioner of the GSA's Federal Acquisition Service, wrote in the letter. Related Stories 5/26/2025 5/26/2025 On May 26, President Donald Trump said he is considering stripping $3 billion from Harvard. 'I am considering taking Three Billion Dollars of Grant Money away from a very antisemitic Harvard, and giving it to TRADE SCHOOLS all across our land. What a great investment that would be for the USA, and so badly needed!!!' he Last week, the Department of Homeland Security announced that Harvard would no longer be allowed to accept foreign students. This action has been put on hold by the courts following legal action taken by the university. Aaron Gifford contributed to this report. This is a developing story and will be updated.
