Rep. Robert Aderholt harshly criticized Education Secretary Miguel Cardona on several issues during a House budget hearing on Wednesday.

In her speech, Aderholt began by confronting Cardona about the Department of Education's efforts to gut Title IX.

“When I appeared before this subcommittee last year, I and many of my colleagues expressed disbelief at the Department of Education's proposed Title IX rule that would force schools to allow biological teenage males into girls' locker rooms and promote unfair competition on the athletic field,” Aderholt said.

“The original intent of Title IX was to protect women, so we hope that the Department's delay in finalizing this misguided rule signals that the Administration agrees with the majority of the public that this proposal would negatively impact women and girls in sports and set them back decades.”

The lawmakers' subsequent questions focused on the State Department's proposed budget for fiscal year 2025.

“Regarding the proposed budget, I am concerned about the new programs, increases and cuts proposed in the 2025 budget and what they say about the department's priorities,” Aderholt said. “$25 million for a new preschool demonstration, $10 million for an unnecessary initiative to foster diverse schools, and a significant increase in a controlled account to implement student loan debt transfers funded by new budget maneuvers are just a few of the issues that concern me.”

Aderholt said the budget should cover established educational necessities to minimize student absenteeism.

“Rather than adding new programs and the additional bureaucracy that comes with them, I believe the education budget needs to focus on getting back to basics. Four years after schools were closed across the country, 26 percent of all students are still chronically absent from school.”

“For the poorest students, that figure rises to a staggering 32 percent. Clearly, if children are not in school, they are not learning.”

He asked Cardona how the new budget request would improve the quality of education in the United States.

“How will what's proposed in the budget get these kids back into the classroom? How will it address the huge declines in math and reading achievement that have been felt most acutely in minority communities? How will it help rebuild parent confidence?”

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“These are difficult issues the budget will need to address.”

Aderholt also asked about recent funding cuts to charter schools.

“I am equally troubled by the department’s proposal to cut grants to charter schools by $40 million,” Aderholt said. “Funding for this program has remained flat for five years, yet charter schools continue to outperform traditional public schools in student achievement.”

“At a time when our nation faces skyrocketing debt and inflation, investments in education need to be directed at what works, not at duplicative, ideological programs that sound good but have no real impact on learning.”

Student loan forgiveness was a major issue at the hearing.

“The budget proposal also proposes a $600 million increase for the State Department's office that oversees federal student aid programs, including student loan forgiveness,” Aderholt wrote. “Despite the Supreme Court striking down the president's signature one-time student loan forgiveness program, the State Department is focusing on loan forgiveness through other means.”

Aderholt argued that Cardona's department has “bragged” about having forgiven $144 billion in student loan debt so far.

“This doesn't even take into account a new loan repayment plan the Department created on its own last year, which would make loan repayments even more generous, including cutting borrowers' payments in half and speeding up loan repayments for some borrowers. Last September, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that the repayment program would cost $260 billion over a 10-year budget lifespan.”

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“The Department's student loan forgiveness policy is clearly unfair to Americans who didn't go to college or didn't pay off their loans, and it sends a dangerous message to students that if they take on more debt, taxpayers will have to pay the price.”

Aderholt also addressed a fundamental issue where he believes the current administration is heading in the wrong direction: freedom of speech.

“We also continue to hear stories of free speech under attack on college campuses across the country. Our universities should be places that support free academic inquiry and the expression and exchange of diverse ideas,” Aderholt continued.

“So when I hear stories of speakers being disinvited, being yelled at at events, or professors being fired for expressing opinions that don’t fit with the prevailing thinking on campus, it’s disturbing.”

And he cited statistics that show just how much danger free speech really is on college campuses.

“According to the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, more than half of students surveyed for the 2024 College Free Speech Rankings report, or 56%, said they were worried about their reputations being damaged by someone misinterpreting what they said or did,” Aderholt revealed. “Twenty-eight percent of students said they self-censor 'quite often' or 'very often' during class discussions. One in five students said it was not clear whether their university administration was protecting free speech, and 43% said it was only 'somewhat' clear whether free speech was protected.”

“These statistics are alarming. We can and must do better.”

Austin Shipley is a staff writer for Yellow Hammer News.