On Tuesday, Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-OR) questioned Education Secretary Miguel Cardona on FAFSA processes during a House Education and the Workforce Committee hearing.
Fuel your success with Forbes. Gain unlimited access to premium journalism, including breaking news, groundbreaking in-depth reported stories, daily digests and more. Plus, members get a front-row seat at members-only events with leading thinkers and doers, access to premium video that can help you get ahead, an ad-light experience, early access to select products including NFT drops and more:
https://account.forbes.com/membership/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=growth_non-sub_paid_subscribe_ytdescript
Stay Connected
Forbes on Facebook: http://fb.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Instagram: http://instagram.com/forbes
More From Forbes: http://forbes.com
Fuel your success with Forbes. Gain unlimited access to premium journalism, including breaking news, groundbreaking in-depth reported stories, daily digests and more. Plus, members get a front-row seat at members-only events with leading thinkers and doers, access to premium video that can help you get ahead, an ad-light experience, early access to select products including NFT drops and more:
https://account.forbes.com/membership/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=growth_non-sub_paid_subscribe_ytdescript
Stay Connected
Forbes on Facebook: http://fb.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Instagram: http://instagram.com/forbes
More From Forbes: http://forbes.com
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00 >> Ms. Stevens, Ms. Chavez-DeRimmer, you're recognized for five minutes.
00:07 >> Thank you, Madam Chair.
00:09 Secretary Cardona, it's been a busy time for you, and in this time in history, not for very good reasons.
00:16 This committee's unsettled by the failures of both you and your staff in handling the FAFSA debacle and
00:21 rising anti-Semitism on college campuses, but I want to start with the FAFSA.
00:27 Over the past months, my district has been handling a high number of cases for
00:31 parents seeking help with the FAFSA and how to deal with your department.
00:34 They can't get a real person on the phone.
00:36 They spend hours on hold and eventually are told their issues are technical glitches, with zero guidance on what the next steps might be.
00:45 All the while, their kids missed early acceptance deadlines because they didn't know how much financial aid they were going to be working with.
00:52 That part really frustrates me, actually.
00:56 When I think about, do I get mad about certain things, those are the kind of things of unresponsiveness.
01:00 And it's been 100% to my office of non-responsiveness, not even a confirmation of receiving the case when we submit one.
01:07 And I pride myself on case work.
01:10 The congressional phone line for the Department of Ed sometimes allows the team to leave a message, but no one ever calls us back.
01:16 So I've been frustrated.
01:17 Other agencies at least respond.
01:19 They'll get back to me with an answer.
01:22 So I ask myself, who did you hire?
01:24 Because it seems unacceptable.
01:26 And really, quite frankly, I've hired and fired throughout my career people, and
01:30 it seems pathetic to not be able to at least hire people who can return a message.
01:34 The Department of Education, if it exists for a real purpose, it's to increase access to education.
01:40 And you and your staff seem to have failed spectacularly, unfortunately, in the case work in clearing that bar.
01:46 Let me talk now about another low bar the department seems to be struggling with.
01:51 After October 7th, anti-Semites on college campuses came out in droves.
01:56 Jewish students have openly stated that they feel threatened and unsafe, and some have been physically assaulted.
02:02 About a week ago, one rabbi affiliated with Columbia University advised Jewish students to leave campus for Passover.
02:09 Schools have canceled their commencement ceremonies.
02:12 And last week, GW University's law school here in DC relocated its final exams to an undisclosed and secure location.
02:19 Our schools in Oregon are dealing with a similar situations, and I've talked to those university presidents and what the future could look like.
02:27 It really is the greatest crisis in American education in decades.
02:31 Last week, before a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee, you mentioned the department's Office of Civil Rights roughly had 145 investigations into the universities and
02:39 schools, and the school districts for potential Title VI violations.
02:43 This, of course, is the legal basis for investigations and actions regarding discrimination based on race or religion.
02:50 In this case, countless Jewish students.
02:52 You somewhat touched on it today, but what is the timeline for the resolution of these investigations?
02:58 And when will penalties, if appropriate, be announced and imposed?
03:01 And I really would hope that you don't answer, if you give us more money, you'll have those answers.
03:06 >> Thank you for the questions.
03:07 I agree with you that hate has no place on our campuses and we must act.
03:11 I just want to go back and say, this is the administration that reopened schools,
03:15 provided debt relief, and overhauled a 40-year-old FAFSA system.
03:19 And while delayed, we are working 24/7 to serve the people that you represent.
03:24 And I'm committed to making sure you have information.
03:26 I'll ask someone from my team to reach out to you this week on your questions.
03:30 With regard to the anti-Semitism, it's unacceptable.
03:34 And we take a very strong stance on that.
03:36 We have more cases open.
03:37 We've closed more cases than the last administration already.
03:40 We're committed to it.
03:41 We have guidance within two clicks of our website that provides a dear colleague letter that was sent out today.
03:48 A letter that I sent out Friday.
03:49 This is something we take very seriously as well.
03:51 >> Thank you.
03:51 And so the reason these investigations are important to get through is because it really doesn't seem to protect students when they need it most, and that's immediately.
03:59 On December 6th, you received a letter from the leaders of the Jewish Orthodox, Jewish Congregations of America.
04:04 They asked you to issue that guidance.
04:06 And I was glad to see this morning that you issued that new guidance for the administrators from pre-K to post-grad to fill those Title VI obligations.
04:13 Mr. Secretary, exactly how many forms of guidance have you now circulated since October 7th?
04:18 >> We've had over 100 actions.
04:20 And I can tell you with the guidance, I have to say at least three or four that I can think of off the top of my head.
04:28 There could be more.
04:29 Visit ed.gov, click on supporting campus safety.
04:33 >> Thank you. >> And there's a whole list there for yourself and your constituents.
04:36 >> Thank you.
04:36 It also says schools have a legal responsibility to address the discrimination against those students.
04:41 And it sounds like that you would include when protesters shout from the river to the sea at Jewish students.
04:46 And yet out of roughly ten reference examples this new guidance provides, the chant is never mentioned.
04:50 So two final questions before my time is up.
04:53 Does the department recognize that screaming from the river to the sea at Jewish students is a call for genocide?
04:58 And two, if schools do not follow this guidance, will you impose penalties such as withholding funding
05:04 as you committed to Congresswoman Manning that you will do that?
05:08 >> Calls for genocide are abhorrent and we stand against those.
05:11 And if brought forward-
05:12 >> Will you withhold funding as you committed to Congresswoman Manning?
05:16 >> If schools refuse to adhere to Title VI, absolutely.
05:20 >> Thank you.
05:21 Madam Chair, I yield back.
05:21 >> Thank you.
05:24 Mr. Smucker, you're recognized.