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Parliament Education Service

• Citizenship ,  Communication Skills ,  Confidence Building ,  Drama ,  History ,  Leadership ,  PSHE/RSHE ,  Philosophy ,  Problem Solving ,  Team Building ,  Travel & Tourism +7 more

Photos of Parliament Education Service

What will students see and do.

On a visit to the Palace of Westminster in London, school groups can discover the historical and present-day processes of the House of Lords and House of Commons.

As they tour these iconic buildings, students will experience the UK’s seat of power up close, while interactive workshops introduce those of different ages to the workings of the government.

The tour lasts 90 minutes, with the visit extending to over two hours when a workshop is added. As well as catering to students of all ages, activities can be adapted to children with special educational needs.

For visits arranged for Monday to Thursday, your local MP will be invited to meet the group and take part in a question-and-answer session, though it’s not guaranteed that they will be available.

After your visit, students can enjoy their packed lunches in the nearby Victoria Tower Gardens. For history trips, you’re also well positioned to explore other sights in central London.

For those unable to travel to Westminster, it’s possible to arrange a live online workshop instead, delivered by a member of staff from UK Parliament. Alternatively, why not book a live Q&A with a member of the House of Lords?

How does the trip link to the curriculum?

Both the tour and workshops have clearly defined curriculum outcomes for different key stages in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

For Key Stage 1 pupils, these outcomes can be related to citizenship, history, SMSC, health and wellbeing, social studies and PSHE.

At Key Stage 2, the curriculum objectives cover citizenship, SMSC, PDMU, health and wellbeing, social studies and PSHE.

For post-16 students, outcomes are related to citizenship, politics and modern studies.

The workshops delivered on-site are as follows:

– Story of Parliament: This is suitable for pupils aged 7–18 and lasts 90 minutes. It starts with a visit to the education centre, where a 360-degree film tells the story of UK Parliament. Next, pupils undertake a full tour of the building, finishing in Westminster Hall.

– Representation & Voting: There are two levels of this workshop available, the first being suitable for students aged 7–16. In this workshop, pupils are introduced to the process of electing members of Parliament. Participants represent fictional constituencies and stand for imagined political parties. They create manifestos and pupils vote for their chosen candidate. In this exercise, they begin to understand how elections work and how MPs are chosen.

For students between 16–18 years, the workshop introduces voting principles like proportional representation and first past the post. Considering the advantages and disadvantages of each system, they design manifestos and hold a general election.

– Laws & Debating: Suitable for pupils aged 7–18, this interactive workshop introduces the law-making process. Starting with an idea for a bill, students then take it through the houses of Commons and Lords, debating as they go. This activity demonstrates the democratic process and how laws come into place in the UK. Through involvement, students develop debating skills and are motivated to be active members of society.

– Campaigning & Parliament: Aimed at students aged 7–11, this workshop introduces the concepts of local, devolved and national government. Participants will discover the responsibilities of different levels of government and how these are decided. In the campaigning exercises, students find out about different campaign methods and the efficacy of each. Finally, pupils find out how to get involved in democracy.

Subjects covered

Teaching resources provided.

Free teaching resources are available for visitors, or to download from the website.

For pupils aged 5–7, an illustrated book describes a visit to Parliament and what takes place there.

For students between 7–11, the education pack introduces the people who work in the houses of Commons and Lords. Interactive activities also describe laws, elections and how to be involved in Parliament.

The post-16 workbook covers electoral systems, UK constitution, democracy and how to campaign.

Minimum and maximum group size

The minimum group size is 12 visitors, including adults. The maximum size for tours and workshops is 32 students. For larger groups, the visit will be split across different time slots.

For pupils aged 5–7, the required adult-to-child ratio is one adult per seven children. For pupils aged 7–18, the ratio is one adult per 15 children.

Details of risk assessment

The Parliament Education Service team are available to help with risk assessments and paperwork. Upon arrival, all visitors are subject to security checks and are briefed on health and safety and expected behaviour.

Don't miss our downloadable A-Z guide on completing a risk assessment

Facilities on-site

Much of the site is wheelchair accessible, although the tour may need to take a different route. The team are happy to discuss any mobility access needs your group might have.

The gift shop is not available to school groups, although souvenirs can be pre-ordered and given to the lead teacher to distribute.

Opening times

School tours operate Monday to Friday and are subject to business and events in parliament. Sessions typically take place between the hours of 9am and 3pm.

All activities arranged through the Parliament Education Service are free to attend.

Travel arrangements

Although there are some drop-off points at UK Parliament, it’s advisable to arrive by public transport, as parking nearby is scarce.

The nearest overground rail stations are Charing Cross, Victoria and Waterloo, which are all within a 30-minute walk.

The education centre is a short walk from Westminster underground station, which is connected to the Circle, District and Jubilee lines.

There are also a number of public bus services stopping nearby. There are travel subsidies available for school visits from certain areas.

Houses of Parliament, Westminster, London, London SW1A 2TT

Book your school trip to Parliament Education Service

For information on booking your school trip to this venue, click below.

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Posted on 14th June 2023 Categories Things to do

By: Author Julianna Barnaby

Want to Visit the Houses of Parliament on a Tour? Here’s How…

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Planning to visit the Houses of Parliament and not sure where to start? Check out this step by step guide to the types of tours, ticket prices and what to expect before you go. 

The Houses of Parliament are more than just an iconic London landmark. They function as the heart of British power. 

Set in the Palace of Westminster, a Victorian Neo-Gothic affair on the banks of the Thames, the 1000+ rooms of the palace count among them two of the most important locations in UK politics – the House of Commons and House of Lords. 

Little wonder then that visiting the Houses of Parliament is one of the first things that people think of when visiting London. 

Who wouldn’t want to take a peek at the innards of authority, the place where decisions that shape the lives of British citizens are made on a daily basis? We certainly did for sure. 

Having taken a Houses of Parliament tour previously, we can honestly say that it is one of the most fascinating things we’ve done in London full stop. This coming from a team that spends a lot of time researching and writing about London, and who’s as reticent to give out high praise as Scrooge was to give out money before his Christmas Carol transformation. 

In other words – you should totally go. 

The difficult thing is knowing where to start. That’s why we’ve written this guide to walk you through the options for visiting with and without a tour, the different kinds of Houses of Parliament tours available, where to get tickets and what to expect when you do. 

Do I Have to Book a Tour to Visit the Houses of Parliament? 

Usually, no. But it’s best to book in advance or you risk being turned away. 

There are several ways that you can usually visit the Houses of Parliament without booking a tour – the main ones are: 

• Watch a debate or a committee

Watch Prime Minister’s Questions 

• Watch Minister’s Question Times in the House of Commons or House of Lords 
• Book onto one of Parliament’s special events or talks.

You do not have to book tickets for the first three, although it is advisable to book tickets for Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) as it is very popular and you are not guaranteed entry without a ticket. 

We will go into more detail on each of these in the section “Visiting the Houses of Parliament Without a Tour” below if you want to know more info but we thought it was worth dealing with the tours first as this is what we’ve been asked most questions about.

Choosing Which Houses of Parliament Tour to Book 

There are several different types of Houses of Parliament tour that you could go on – we’ve given you a breakdown of each of them as well as options for how to get your hands on tickets and (where relevant) lead times for each.

Houses of Parliament Guided Tour

This is a 90-minute guided tour of the Houses of Parliament for which you have to pay. 

The tours are usually held on weekdays when Parliament is not in session and most Saturdays throughout the year. They go at a slow pace, allowing you to soak in the architecture and history of the buildings. 

These tours also held in French, Spanish, German and Italian on selected dates.

Cost: £32 for adults, £16 for kids, £26 for concessions, Disabled visitors are charged as per the above but an essential companion is free. 

How to Get Tickets: For the latest information on when these tours will return, click here .

Rather take things at your own pace instead of going on a group tour but still want to explore the Palace of Westminster? You should consider an audio tour. 

The 90-minute audio tour provides a wealth of information about the buildings and the politics that happen within Parliament’s walls – in audio and video formats. 

It’s also available in a much wider range of languages than the guided tours and there are different versions for children and adults. 

Cost: £25 for adults, £9 for kids, £18.00 for concessions, under 5s free. Disabled visitors are charged as per the above but an essential companion is free. 

How to Get Tickets: Get your tickets for Parliament before they sell out here .

Private Guided Tours 

Want to explore in a private group? Book a private guided tour. 

On the face of it, the £500 fee looks pretty steep but when you consider that it covers up to 10 people for a completely tailored tour, it doesn’t actually look so bad after all.

You’ll have to enquire about this privately as you can’t book online, but the tours generally begin first thing in the morning (Monday to Wednesday) and last around 75 minutes. 

Cost: Starts from £500 per group of up to 10 people 

How to Book: For bookings of 10 people or more, contact [email protected]

How to Take a Tour of the Houses of Parliament for Free

Did you know that UK residents can visit the Houses of Parliament for Free?

Scrap that, if you’re a UK resident, you can take a Democratic Access Tour of the Houses of Parliament for Free. 

We’ve taken one of these tours and it was riveting – 75 minutes of sights and information that had every single person fixed on every word our tour guide Sean had to say. 

The locations you cover during the tour depend on what’s happening on the day  – we were lucky enough to visit both houses (we literally squeaked into the House of Lords just in time). 

The tour is informative and educational, walking you through the daily business of MPs while they’re in the houses, the procedures that govern them and showcases the highlights of the Palace of Westminster along the way. 

We cannot recommend this enough – if you’re a UK resident and capable of getting to London, do it. 

The decisions that are made here influence every aspect of your life – not in an obscure and difficult to define fashion, but directly and with significant impact. Taking the time to understand how it works is never going to be a bad idea. 

How to Get Tickets: 

You have to be a UK resident to book one of the Houses of Parliament free tours. You’ll need to book through your local MP or a Member of the House of Lords to book up to six months in advance. 

There are often last-minute Houses of Parliament tickets available (within the next seven days) – you can email Parliament to book a space on one of them, or pop into the Ticket Office in front of Portcullis House. 

More information can be found here

Behind the Scenes Houses of Parliament Guided Tour 

This tour isn’t run by Parliament itself and is significantly more expensive than the standard guided tours we included above. 

So why are we listing it? Because it’s a much more in-depth and intimate tour that allows you to really immerse yourself in the world of Parliament past and present. 

In the course of two hours, you explore sections of the Palace of Westminster – including several places that aren’t covered by the other tours. 

This is really a tour for those who want to get down to the nitty gritty of the history and architecture of the Houses of Parliament and want to do it as part of a smaller group. 

Cost: £65 Adults, £59 Children (4-12), Infants three and under are free. 

How to get Tickets: Book online on Get Your Guide

Take a Virtual Tour

Can’t make your way to Parliament right now? Don’t stress. You can take a virtual tour of the buildings online. You’ll walk your virtual self through the corridors of power. It’s not the same as being there in person, but at least you don’t have to get off the sofa. 

Cost: Absolutely free. Hurrah.

How to get Tickets: Book online here.

Visiting the Houses of Parliament Without a Tour

Now you’ve got a good grasp of the kinds of tours that you can take of the Houses of Parliament, We’re going to walk you through the ways that you can usually visit Parliament without a tour. 

It’s probably worth noting that you’re not allowed to just walk around the Palace of Westminster unguided (unless you’re doing an audio tour), so if you want to look around the buildings and learn about their history, a guided or audio tour are the only ways to do it. 

Watch a Debate or Committee 

MPs in the House of Commons and Peers in the House of Lords debate issues and proposed legislation on a daily basis – all of which anyone is able to view from the public galleries of the respective houses. 

In addition to this, both houses also hold committee meetings examine issues in detail on subjects large and small – all of which are open to the public. 

Though the waiting times vary dependent on the popularity / contentiousness of the subject, you are normally able to just turn up and hop into the queue for both debates and committee meetings.

The visitor attendants can give you a good idea of how long you can expect to wait when you arrive. 

How to Get Tickets: Not ticketed, just turn up and queue . 

Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) happens every Wednesday at 12pm when Parliament is in session.

Even before the explosive events of the past few years, PMQs has always been the most popular event at Parliament, which is why it’s a ticketed event. 

How to Get Tickets: Contact your local MP to request a ticket. If you’re not a UK resident or you haven’t booked a ticket in advance you can turn up on the day and try your luck but the pool of seats available is small. Not currently running but keep your eyes peeled on the website.

Watch Minister’s Question Time

This happens in both the House of Commons and the House of Lords – generally at the beginning of the day Monday to Thursday and you can go and watch it from the public galleries of the respective houses. 

Cost: Free 

How to Get Tickets: You can contact your local MP to request a ticket or turn up on the day. Minister’s Question Time can be popular, but it’s generally OK to turn up on the day. Not currently running but check the website for updates.

Book a Special Event or Talk

There’s so much going on at Parliament – they really take their role of educating the public about aspects of life in Parliament, the history of the buildings and issues we face as a country.

The only problem is… only a select number of people know about them, buried as they are in an obscure section of Parliament’s website. 

Now,  you know that we’re full-on geeky (we’ve learnt to embrace it), but the subject range is fascinating. These are the kinds of talks that if you put them on TED Talks millions of people would be watching them, but when it’s Parliament… they’re hardly the talk of the town.

Don’t get us wrong – they still sell out but when’s the last time you saw them on a list of interesting things to do in London this week. It’s a shame – we want to thoroughly encourage you to go and check out the calendar and book onto any that interest you. 

At the moment, these talks are all virtual. Current ones on the calendar include The Elizabeth Tower’s Conservation and How UK Parliament Works – a great place to start if you’re looking to learn more about Parliament.

Cost: Varies – most are free

How to Get Tickets: Check the Calendar of Upcoming Events and book tickets (mostly free) online.

Houses of Parliament and the Palace of Westminster: Frequently Asked Questions

They actually refer to the same place. The Palace of Westminster, where the Houses of Parliament are based today, actually used to be a royal palace: Henry VIII was the last monarch to use it as such.  These days, it’s no longer a royal palace and serves as a meeting place for the House of Commons and House of Lords, together: the Houses of Parliament.

Yes, you can go into the Houses of Parliament – either on a tour, to go and see a debate or committee, to watch Prime Minister’s Questions or Minister’s Questions, to attend a talk or event or to go and petition your MP.  You can’t, however, just walk around and see the inside of the Palace of Westminster unguided. 

Yes, you can visit the Houses of Parliament for free by going to watch a debate, Prime Minister’s Questions or Ministers Questions in the appropriate house. You can also book a spot on one of the free Democratic Access Tours run by Parliament on a frequent basis. 

It depends on which tour you book. The free tours of the Houses of Parliament are around 75 minutes while the paid guided tours last for 90 minutes. They also recommend allowing at least 90 minutes for the self-guided audio tour. 

No, there is no formal dress code for visiting Parliament… but it is illegal to enter Parliament wearing a suit of armour, just in case you were thinking of doing that. 

You can take photos in Westminster Hall and St Stephen’s Hall in the Houses of Parliament if you’re visiting but no, you can’t take photos in the rest of the Palace of Westminster.

Yes, the buildings are old but they’ve been updated to make them accessible to everyone. From ramps to information in sign language and tours specially tailored to people that need a little more help than others, it’s all there for you.  What’s more, for the tours and such, essential companions can go free. 

You can find more information about parliament’s accessibility here

Yes, you can! Parliament’s Jubilee Cafe is open from 9:00am to 5:45pm Monday to Wednesday and 10:00am to 5:45pm Thursday to Saturday. They do a selection of refreshments, sandwiches and such in case you’re peckish.  Alternatively check out our guide to Westminster for some good food nearby.

Unlikely, but possible. Obviously whoever the Tories have chosen as our leader for the month that you happen to visit will be present at PMQs – if you can get a ticket to that – but most of the time they will be working from No. 10, around the corner – or off in a foreign country doing important diplomatic work. 

Map of the Houses of Parliament, London 

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Vice President Kamala   Harris Launches Nationwide Economic Opportunity   Tour

The Vice President will kick off her multi-state tour with a moderated conversation in Atlanta, GA on April 29 and an event in Detroit, MI during the following week

WASHINGTON – Vice President Kamala Harris announced today that she will embark on a nationwide Economic Opportunity Tour with a series of events focused on investing in communities, building wealth, and ensuring every American has the freedom to thrive. The Vice President’s tour will take her back to several states across the country as she highlights how the Biden-Harris Administration has built economic opportunity and delivered for the American people. The Economic Opportunity Tour will kick off with a moderated conversation in Atlanta, GA on April 29 and an event in Detroit, MI during the following week. Additional dates and locations will be announced soon.

“President Biden and I are committed to creating an economy in which every person has the freedom to thrive. That is why we have taken historic steps to advance economic opportunity by increasing access to capital, investing in small businesses, addressing housing costs, forgiving student loans and medical debt, investing in infrastructure, and championing additional policies that put money in people’s pockets and build wealth,” said Vice President Harris.   “Our economic approach has delivered great progress, and we will continue to invest in you, your family, and your future.”

During the Vice President’s Economic Opportunity Tour, she will highlight how the Biden-Harris Administration has delivered historic investments that have supported communities and helped people thrive. This includes making unprecedented investments in small businesses and achieving the fastest creation of Black-owned small businesses in more than 30 years, creating a record number of jobs, increasing access to capital for underserved communities, investing in infrastructure, cutting the price of insulin and expanding access to health care, erasing medical debt, forgiving more student loan debt than any administration in history and boosting investments in education, making housing more affordable, lowering child care costs, and increasing the wealth of American families. Vice President Harris will also outline additional steps that she and President Biden are taking to expand this work. She will be joined on the tour by Administration officials, members of Congress, local leaders, and other special guests.

The Vice President’s tour is a continuation of her nonstop travel to communities across the country. She has made more than 35 trips to 16 states since the beginning of 2024. This includes consistent travel to meet with small business owners and entrepreneurs in underserved communities to discuss challenges and opportunities they face. In March, she traveled to Black Wall Street in Durham, NC to announce $32 million in funds to support historically underserved entrepreneurs. She began the year in Las Vegas, NV where she announced an SBA rule that will ensure millions of Americans who have served time are eligible for SBA loan programs that help individuals start and run small businesses.

The Vice President has long been focused on ensuring that minority, rural, and low-income communities have the capital and resources they need to thrive and support small businesses. Last year, she announced that Treasury’s CDFI Fund has awarded over $1.73 billion in grants to 603 Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) across the country. In 2022, the Vice President also announced a first-of-its-kind public-private sector initiative — the Economic Opportunity Coalition (EOC) — that is a historic public-private partnership of more than 20 private sector organizations that will invest tens of billions of dollars to create opportunity and grow wealth in historically underserved communities. The EOC has already surpassed over $1 billion in increased member company deposits into community finance institutions. As a Senator, the Vice President partnered with key Congressional stakeholders to secure a transformative $12 billion investment for CDFIs and MDIs in December 2020. Since that time, she has worked to ensure these programs are as successful as possible.

Additional dates, cities, and details for media to RSVP will be available soon.

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The Moscow Metro Tour is included in most guided tours’ itineraries. Opened in 1935, under Stalin’s regime, the metro was not only meant to solve transport problems, but also was hailed as “a people’s palace”. Every station you will see during your Moscow metro tour looks like a palace room. There are bright paintings, mosaics, stained glass, bronze statues… Our Moscow metro tour includes the most impressive stations best architects and designers worked at - Ploshchad Revolutsii, Mayakovskaya, Komsomolskaya, Kievskaya, Novoslobodskaya and some others.

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The guide will not only help you navigate the metro, but will also provide you with fascinating background tales for the images you see and a history of each station.

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During the Second World War the metro itself became a strategic asset: it was turned into the city's biggest bomb-shelter and one of the stations even became a library. 217 children were born here in 1941-1942! The metro is the most effective means of transport in the capital.

There are almost 200 stations 196 at the moment and trains run every 90 seconds! The guide of your Moscow metro tour can explain to you how to buy tickets and find your way if you plan to get around by yourself.

Rare visit by House speaker to campus escalates tension at Columbia

“Get off our campus!” one student yelled. “Go back to Louisiana, Mike!” someone shouted.

NEW YORK — House Speaker Mike Johnson and his Republican colleagues were met with boos, laughs and pro-Palestinian chants after parachuting into one center of the roiling protest movement against Israel’s war against Hamas: Columbia University in New York City.

Johnson and a group of GOP lawmakers landed on campus — where tensions are high between the university administration and students who have erected pro-Palestinian encampments — and demanded that Columbia’s president, Nemat “Minouche” Shafik, resign for failing to quickly dismantle the encampments and, in their view, for not doing enough to ensure that Jewish people on campus feel safe.

Around 4 p.m. Wednesday, the Louisiana Republican — who just shepherded through Congress a $26 billion aid package for Israel, including $9 billion in humanitarian help to Gaza and elsewhere — appeared on the steps of Columbia’s stately library, which looks out over the student encampments. Signs of a campus on edge were all over: A dozen New York police officers stood guard outside the school’s big black gates on Broadway. Bike racks strung with yellow police tape cordoned off some of the sidewalk.

“I am here today joining my colleagues and calling on President Shafik to resign if she could not immediately bring order to this chaos,” Johnson said. “As speaker of the House, I’m committed today that the Congress will not be silent as Jewish students are expected to run for their lives and stay home from their classes hiding in fear.”

A crowd of students, swelling as Johnson and his colleagues began speaking, intermittently laughed and yelled that they couldn’t hear the congressman or his colleagues. The students booed the speaker, chanted in support of Palestine, including “Free Palestine,” “Stop the genocide” and “ From the river to the sea ,” a phrase that some say constitutes antisemitic speech.

“Enjoy your free speech,” Johnson rejoined, sounding uncharacteristically irritated.

As Johnson wrapped up, the students renewed their boos and began to chant, “Mike, you suck!”

House Republicans have long accused elite colleges and universities of skewing left and pursuing a “woke” agenda that tramples on parental rights. But the antiwar outbursts on campuses across the country that began shortly after Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel — and the rise of antisemitism on college campuses, according to the Anti-Defamation League — are now oft-repeated targets of Republican criticism. GOP lawmakers are seeking to slash federal funding for universities and have hauled university officials to Capitol Hill to answer questions such as whether “calling for the genocide of Jews” would violate their schools’ code of conduct.

“If these campuses cannot get control of this problem, they do not deserve taxpayer dollars,” Johnson said. “We’ll continue to work on legislation to adjust this at the federal level. This Congress — and I genuinely believe there’s bipartisan agreement on this — will stand for what is good and what is right.”

House Democrats descended Monday onto Columbia’s campus to express outrage over antisemitic harassment of Jewish students on and around campus. They included Jewish Reps. Josh Gottheimer (N.J.), Dan Goldman (N.Y.), Jared Moskowitz (Fla.) and Kathy Manning (N.C.).

The lawmakers’ pleas were not as forceful as Republicans’, who left no room for distinction between those targeting Jewish students and those peacefully protesting the Israel-Gaza war . But the Democrats were adamant about the need to protect students with backgrounds like theirs.

“Imagine trying to study for finals at Columbia, while people outside the library are calling for your death,” Gottheimer said at a news conference following their walk through campus. “To the administrators at Columbia and beyond, here are our demands: Stop the double talk and start acting. Discipline harassers. Restore civility on this campus. Encourage peaceful, constructive, civil dialogue. Every student has a right to be safe on campus.”

Johnson’s remarks came after he met with Jewish students at Columbia University, shared a meal with the university’s Rabbi Yuda Drizin and briefly met with Shafik before the news conference with three New York House Republicans and House Education and the Workforce Chair Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.). Johnson said Republicans met with Shafik and other top officials and left the meeting believing that they had “not acted to restore order on the campus.”

Asked whether he believes the National Guard should be sent in to restore order on college campuses across the country, Johnson said, “If this is not contained quickly, and if these threats and intimidation are not stopped, there is an appropriate time for the National Guard.”

Johnson also said he would call President Biden to inform him about what he saw on campus and “demand that he take action. There is executive authority that would be appropriate.”

The speaker’s visit marks the first time the top representative in the U.S. House has visited a college campus amid ongoing protests that have led to tense exchanges between pro-Palestinian and Jewish students. More than 100 people on Columbia’s campus were recently arrested and charged with trespassing, with several students who took part in the protest facing suspension just weeks before year’s end. Shafik called on the New York Police Department, whose officers arrived in riot gear, to arrest protesters just one day after she and other Columbia leaders told Congress she would make changes aimed at ending the harassment of Jewish students. The school also announced it would start a hybrid learning model for the rest of the year.

Neither Johnson nor Congress has any power to force a university president’s resignation. White House press secretary Karine Jean Pierre on Wednesday declined to weigh in on whether Shafik should resign, telling reporters, “Columbia’s a private institution. We’ve been very consistent here about not commenting on personnel matters.”

House Republicans who visited Columbia with the speaker made clear they would follow through with punishing colleges and universities if the protests are not controlled.

“The inmates are running the asylum,” Foxx said. “The [Education and Workforce] committee will pursue every possible avenue to create a safe learning environment for Jewish students.”

Rep. Michael Lawler (R-N.Y.) was much more forceful in his rebuke of students, acknowledging that he too wants Palestinians to be free “from their oppressor, Hamas,” and characterized any students who support the terrorist organization as “an absolute abomination.”

“If you are a protester on this campus, and you are proud that you’ve been endorsed by Hamas, you are part of the problem,” fellow N.Y. Rep. Anthony D’Esposito (R) said.

House Republicans have been pummeling the heads of elite university institutions for months, using them as a punching bag to make a broader point about how out-of-touch elite institutions are with normal Americans. Johnson has previously invited Jewish students to meet with him in the Capitol, and he has often allowed them to tell their stories of being under attack at school during news conferences.

At a December hearing, the interrogation by House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) of Harvard President Claudine Gay over whether antisemitic remarks should be protected under free speech went viral.

The hearing led to a bipartisan call on Capitol Hill to denounce or demand the resignation of leaders at Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for their responses, which were deemed out of touch. Penn President Liz Magill and Gay both resigned amid public outcry.

The hearing launched further investigations by the committee and continual hearings to combat antisemitism on college campus, ending in Shafik’s Capitol Hill testimony last Wednesday.

The Israel-Gaza war is also contentious among House Democrats, with liberals clashing with some Jewish colleagues early on in the war. That prompted Democratic leadership to attempt to keep attacks from becoming personal. Over the weekend, 37 liberals voted against sending $14 billion in aid to Israel over concerns that humanitarian aid would not reach Gaza, joining 21 Republicans who did not support the measure over spending concerns.

It’s just as complicated on Columbia’s campus. Basil Rodriguez, 23, argued Wednesday that Johnson and any lawmaker who backed sending aid to Israel is responsible for the deaths of thousands of Palestinians.

“I would urge him to reckon with his own positionality in the United States government and how the U.S. has been sending weapons that are falling in Gaza,” said Rodriguez, who is participating in the student encampment on campus. “He is directly complicit in this genocide unless he is a vocal advocate for it to stop.”

For Jewish student Spencer Davis, 19, the situation at Columbia is more nuanced than many of its critics have portrayed.

A member of a joint program between the Jewish Theological Seminary and Columbia, he was in the crowd watching Johnson speak. He said he feels safe on campus but understands why others do not and that his roommate booked a last-minute flight home over safety concerns. Davis said people have thrown things at members of his Jewish fraternity.

Still, Davis said, he believes the protests have been largely peaceful and questioned the motivations of politicians such as Johnson who have decried the encampment and Columbia’s leadership. “I think that a lot of Republican congresspeople are using this opportunity to further their culture war against liberal institutions like Columbia,” Davis said. “I think it has less to do with protecting Jewish students and more to do with their agenda, and they’re using Jewish students as pawns.”