WASHINGTON, D.C. — Lawmakers are criticizing the head of the Department of Education for his handling of pro-Palestine protests on college campuses nationwide.
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U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona spoke on Capitol Hill Tuesday during a hearing before the House Education and Workforce Committee.
Republicans are calling on the Education Secretary to resign.
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Pro-Palestinian protesters briefly made their way into the hearing as lawmakers heard from Cardona.
“Dissent is essential to Democracy,” Cardona testified. “But dissent must never lead to disorder or to denying the rights of others so students can finish their semester and their college education.”
Republicans on the committee were fiercely critical of Cardona’s handling of the unrest and his overall job performance.
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Congresswoman Virginia Foxx (R-North Carolina) questioned Cardona about whether students who break the law will be eligible for President Biden’s Student Loan Debt Relief program.
“We’d like you to follow through on those who do break the law and make sure they don’t receive student loan forgiveness,” Rep. Foxx said.
Cardona urged lawmakers to invest more in the Education Department’s Office of Civil Rights, which is responsible for investigating discrimination claims in schools.
Secretary Cardona says there are now 145 open cases.
“Make no mistake. Antisemitism is discrimination and is prohibited by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964,” Cardona explained.
On Tuesday, lawmakers on the committee focused on addressing antisemitism on college campuses. There will be another hearing on Wednesday about the problem in K-12 schools.
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