During a congressional hearing on Tuesday, a Republican lawmaker asked Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona to provide a definition for the term “woman,” but Cardona declined to do so on multiple occasions.
Appearing before the House Appropriations Committee, Cardona sought to defend proposed rule changes from the agency that would bar schools from imposing blanket bans on transgender participation in sports. The administration unveiled the proposed guidelines earlier in April, with Cardona asserting that “Every student should be able to have the full experience of attending school in America, including participating in athletics, free from discrimination.”
At the hearing, Republican Representative Andrew Clyde from Georgia repeatedly questioned Cardona about the definition of the term “woman” as defined by his agency. However, despite being pressed by Clyde, Cardona chose not to provide a clear answer.
“Can you please tell me, or can you please define for me what is a woman?”
“So what’s the definition of a woman? You haven’t given me that. You haven’t answered my question,” Clyde said, per Fox News, which prompted Cardona to hesitate and call the matter “secondary” to his role.
The Biden administration recently revealed a preliminary modification to Title IX regulations that would prohibit federally-funded schools from implementing a blanket policy for athletes. However, schools would still have the flexibility to establish eligibility regulations for teams that restrict transgender students from participating in specific sports if it is deemed necessary to achieve important educational objectives, such as maintaining fairness in competition and reducing the risk of injuries.
Schools that choose to impose limits must “minimize harms” to students who lose out on athletic opportunities, according to the proposal.
“My question’s not secondary, my question is very simple. What does HHS say the definition of a woman is?” the GOP lawmaker responded, but again, instead of providing a direct response, Cardona stressed that ensuring all students have equitable access to opportunities is his top priority as secretary of education.
“Do you believe that a biological male who self-identifies as a woman should be allowed to compete in women’s sports?” an agitated Clyde pressed, but again, Cardona demurred.
Throughout the exchange, Clyde posed relevant questions regarding the safety of female students under the proposed guidelines, while Cardona reiterated the significance of providing equal access for all students.
“Preventing students from participating on a sports team consistent with their gender identity can stigmatize and isolate them,” the White House noted after unveiling the proposed change to the 51-year-old Title IX rules. “This is different from the experience of a student who is not selected for a team based on their skills.”
Clyde criticized the proposal on Tuesday as an attempt to “weaponize Title IX” in a way that “endangers women.”
“Through the Department of Education, President Biden, in my opinion, is attempting to weaponize Title IX, morphing it from a law that protects women to a law that disadvantages or endangers women. Further, the department is doing so with taxpayer dollars, an action that spotlights where your and your president’s true priorities lie, in my opinion,” he said.
