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House Republicans frustrations with the Biden administrations education policies and embrace of the culture wars over education were on full display Tuesday when Education Secretary Miguel Cardona testified before the House Education and the Workforce Committee.

What color is your suit? asked Michigan representative Lisa McClain, a Republican, during a heated exchange. Im just trying to figure out if we can answer a question.

The nearly five-hour hearing, which became contentious at times, featured questions, talking points and discussion about a wide range of higher educationrelated topics from the administrations budget proposal to the influence of the Chinese government on American universities to student loan policies.

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This was Cardonas first appearance before the committee since Republicans took over the House.

Cardona repeatedly defended his departments work to improve the student loan system and help students recover from the pandemic, among other issues, echoing his press statements and comments at recent budget committee meetings. He also tried to steer clear of debates about culture war topics.

The choice we face now is whether were going to build on the common ground that we have to invest in our children or protect the broken status quo thats failed too many of our schools, Cardona said in his opening remarks. Now is not the time to break down in partisan or divisive culture wars.

North Carolina representative Virginia Foxx, the Republican who chairs the committee, outlined a series of concerns about the departments actions under President Biden in her opening remarks.

Mr. Secretary, I wish this hearing was an endorsement of your departments cooperation with our requests, so we could then proceed in good faith to the FY 2024 budget request, she said. Instead, your department has engaged in disingenuous and misleading actions while being minimally responsive to congressional oversight.

Virginia representative Bobby Scott, the committees ranking Democrat, and other Democrats used their time to show support for student loan forgiveness and other policies as well as to detail how the budget cuts proposed in the House debt-ceiling bill would affect the department and students.

Scott credited Cardona with helping to restore the departments commitment to supporting students and educators.

These investments would be transformational for our education system, Scott said of the departments budget proposal. Regrettably, my Republican colleagues have chosen to use their time in the majority to pursue policies that harm students and roll back the clock on our progress.

Foxx and other committee members voiced frustration repeatedly over the departments pace in responding to oversight and data requests.

Foxx said the department has largely ignored requests for documents and not yet responded to some of the committees 11 oversight letters. When the agency did respond, she said the responses were minimal and nearly all were late.

We will continue to press for the answers to the questions that were asking and the information that well need, she said.

Near the end of the hearing, after Foxx asked for a clear commitment to respond to the oversight letters, Cardona said the department will respond to letters and provide the information we can provide to you in good faith.

As the hearing progressed, Republicans increasingly criticized Cardona for what they said was dodging their questions as they grew more annoyed with the secretarys answers.

Ive been listening to you evade yes-or-no questions all day, said Representative Kevin Kiley, a California Republican.

Cardona defended his departments work in responding to oversight and Freedom of Information Act requests.

We provided over 2,400 pages of documents in this Congress alone, Cardona said. Weve responded to 45 letters this Congress alone. Were going to continue to take that very seriously.

Foxx questioned Cardona on whether the department was prepared to restart student loan payments and whether he would commit to no further extensions of the payment pause. Foxx asked the department last month for more details on its plan.

After the Supreme Court decision is made, we plan to start payments within 60days, he said, reiterating a commitment he made at a Senate budget hearing last week.

Democrats on the committee said they were concerned about the impact of resuming payments after a three-year pause and asked if the agency had the resources to pull off the operation.

Were geared up and ready to go, Cardona said.

However, if the administrations budget proposal is not supported, that would significantly impact the departments ability to serve borrowers, he said.

We look forward to making sure that you have the resources that you need, Minnesota representative Ilhan Omar, a Democrat, said.

Throughout the hearing, Cardona repeatedly defended the departments student loan policies, including proposed reforms to the income-driven repayment program, which offers borrowers more generous terms to help them pay back their loans.

Income-driven repayment is going to open access to college for many more students, Cardona said. The goal is for them to pay their debt based on their income. As their income increases, their debt payment increases. Ive seen too many studentsintelligent students, students who have tremendous potentialrule out college because of fear of the cost Imagine the talent in this country thats going untapped.

Not all committee members liked Cardonas explanations.

You are implying that if you didnt go to college, your ability is untapped, Wisconsin representative Glenn Grothman, a Republican, said. I think thats a little bit snobby.

Cardona replied that some of his best and most influential teachers never went to college.

Kentucky representative James Comer, the top Republican on the House Oversight Committee, asked for more information about the departments enforcement of Section117 of the Higher Education Act of 1965, which requires colleges and universities to, twice a year, disclose all foreign gifts and contracts totaling $250,000 or more. Comer and others said they were concerned about the influence of the Chinese government on American universities and worried that the department was backtracking on efforts to require colleges to report the foreign gifts and contracts.

Cardona said the administration is improving the system for reporting and on track to make more filings public.

Weve got a problem with our universities, Comer said. According to multiple university presidents Ive spoken with, we have Chinese students that are stealing our intellectual property. They are essentially serving as spies for the Chinese Communist Party. We have certain universities that are receiving enormous anonymous gifts from the Chinese government. This is a concern for the House Oversight Committee.

Republicans also repeatedly criticized the proposed rule amending the TitleIX of the Education Amendments of 1972 regulations to prohibit blanket bans on transgender students participating in sports teams consistent with their gender identity.

We should be focusing on what the American people are asking us for, Cardona said. They are not asking for divisive comments. They are asking us to work together. Student safety is a primary one. Making sure that students are accepted in schools and acknowledged for who they are is critically important.

Some Democrats on the committee asked Cardona for more information about the departments plans to oversee the online program managersthe outside companies that colleges and universities contract with to run their online offerings. Several committee members have criticized the outside companies and want the department to do more to hold them accountable.

Cardona said that theres an increased demand for flexibility in higher education, but the department wants to ensure greater oversight as well.

So that it doesnt result in what weve experienced with borrower defense and having almost $14billion in loans discharged because students were taken advantage of by certain online, predatory practices, he said.

Florida representative Aaron Bean, a Republican, said that proprietary schools are under attack by the department and asked Cardona, Why are you at war with proprietary colleges?

I dont think were at war, Cardona said. Were fixing a broken system.

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House Republicans clash with Cardona over student loans, other ... - Inside Higher Ed