Senate Republicans grill Biden education secretary over antisemitism in universities

Miguel Cardona, education secretary for the Biden administration, faced questioning in a Tuesday Senate appropriations subcommittee hearing centered on the 2025 Department of Education (DOE) budget request.

During the hearing, Republican senators expressed concerns that Jewish students are facing extreme antisemitism on college campuses across the nation, with little to no relief provided from the department.

“You have more immediate means at your disposal,” stated Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-West Virginia, who noted that the DOE has the ability to remove federal funds from institutions that violate Title VI and asked, “Are you intending to do that?” 

Cardona told legislators DOE currently has 137 open cases for investigations into possible Title VI violations. Title VI prohibits discrimination based on race, color, or national origin in programs that receive federal funding.  

However, Cardona added that the Department’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR), which is tasked with enforcing Title VI, would need additional funding in order to effectively act upon investigations into antisemitism. These investigations would determine if colleges should lose federal funding for failure to uphold Title VI protections for students. 

“This is why in our budget we’re proposing a $22 million increase to increase the number of investigators so we can move on those investigations that are open,” Cardona said. “And ultimately, if a school refuses to comply with Title VI, yes, we would remove federal dollars.” 

In 2023, DOE’s proposed budget for the OCR totaled over $161 million – an increase of $30 million from the prior year. 

Twenty-seven Republican senators sent a letter to Cardona and Attorney General Merrick Garland on April 23, prior to the Senate hearing, demanding action to “restore order and protect Jewish students on our college campuses.” 

“The Department of Education and federal law enforcement must act immediately to restore order, prosecute the mobs who have perpetuated violence and threats against Jewish students, revoke the visas of all foreign nationals (such as exchange students) who have taken part in promoting terrorism, and hold accountable school administrators who have stood by instead of protecting their students,” the letter reads. 

Meanwhile, police have been forced to address pro-Palestine protestors at colleges like UCLA and Columbia University, where students and non-university-affiliated protestors have formed encampments and occupied academic buildings. 

This week’s hearing was not the only time Cardona has come under fire in recent weeks. The education secretary is facing bipartisan wrath for his department’s failures in rolling out a new Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) program.