Biden’s education secretary grilled about taking lunch money from schools that don’t allow males to play girls’ sports

Is the Biden administration prepared to take away kids’ lunches if their schools refuse to play males on girls’ sports teams? 

That’s the question put to Education Secretary Miguel Cardona by Rep. Jim Banks during Tuesday’s House Education Committee hearing over the reinterpretation of Title IX proposed by the Biden administration.  

The new Title IX guidelines would prohibit school districts receiving federal dollars from banning transgender students from competing in sports, allowing minimal flexibility for exceptions. 

“The purpose of this regulatory action, the Athletics NPRM, is to propose a regulatory standard under Title IX that would govern a recipient’s adoption or application of sex-related criteria that would limit or deny a student’s eligibility to participate on a male or female athletic team consistent with their gender identity,” the Department of Education wrote. 

During the exchange, Cardona was asked several times if the department would take away lunch programs for schools that didn’t adhere to the new regulations of Title IX.  

“Mr. Secretary, yes or no, does that mean that your department would take away school lunch programs for needy kids because a state or school won’t allow a boy to compete against a girl in the sports?” Banks asked.  

Cardona wouldn’t give a direct answer leading to Banks asking him once more.  

“We are promoting the most rigorous, intensive academic programming under Raise the Bar,” Cardona said, instead of answering the question. “I would love to share more information.” 

Banks asked him two more times before answering the question himself. 

“Madam chair, the answer is yes,” Banks said. “This administration would take away school lunches from kids who need that lunch, maybe the only warm meal they might ever get, because of the radical agenda of this administration.”