Summer Lee Asks Secretary Linda McMahon If Teaching That Biden Won The 2020 Election Is 'An Illegal DEI'

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At a House Education & Workforce Committee hearing on Wednesday, Rep. Summer Lee (D-PA) questioned Education Sec. Linda McMahon about teaching the outcome of the 2020 presidential election.

Transcript

00:00Nice gentlelady from Pennsylvania, Ms. Lee. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I think that in very

00:06many ways we've been talking around a lot of the issues with this administration. So to be honest

00:11and to be very clear, I want to say that this administration has undoubtedly revived the

00:15culture of racism we haven't seen since the Jim Crow era. They've made it clear that open attacks

00:19on black and brown and other marginalized communities is not just tolerated, but it's

00:24encouraged. So when they call for removing of equity and inclusion and diversity and accessibility

00:28from schools in favor of quote-unquote traditional American values, it's indistinguishable from

00:35post-Civil War South advocating to write history with the lost cause narrative to censor truths

00:42about slavery or as they disappear students who write dissenting op-eds, it's reminiscent

00:47of the suppression of abolitionist newspapers. And this department's financial aid policies

00:52harken back to a time when higher education was reserved for affluent, well-connected, and

00:56predominantly white students. So I have a question, I have some questions, excuse me, about why

01:00this department is taking its leads. From Jim Crow. Secretary McMahon, you've claimed that

01:06you want to drastically reduce the already very small federal role in education and also that

01:13you will not cut Title I-A funding. That is still your position, correct?

01:17Correct. Thank you. I'd like a yes or no answer. Do you believe your April 3rd attempt to revoke

01:22Title I-A funding from states unless a signed, unless they signed a certification of compliance

01:28with your political viewpoint was consistent with giving states more control over education?

01:34There's been no reduction in funding for Title I-A. As of now. There has not been yet.

01:41As of now. But again. And it is not going forward in the budget. So you believe that that's,

01:46so you, okay. Yes or no. Is Title I-A funding actually secure for every school district and state

01:51that currently receives it? Or is your goal to make Title I-A conditional on states refusing

01:56to provide students of color, LGBTQA students, students with disabilities, or other marginalized

02:00students opportunities to participate in diverse, inclusive, equitable and accessible learning

02:05environments? No, that's what I answered. 1-A funding is intact.

02:08Okay. So let's talk about so-called illegal DEI, as you all have called it. A phrase you've

02:13continually bring up that I'm still unclear on, especially after three federal judges have preliminarily

02:18ruled that your illegal DEI guidance is likely unconstitutional and unenforceable. Illegal,

02:24as it were. Secretary McMahon, during your confirmation hearing, you were asked by Senator Chris Murphy

02:31if an African American history class violated the administration's position on diversity, equity,

02:35and inclusion. You said you'd like to look into it. You've been on the job for a few months now.

02:39Have you been able to look into it? I do not think that African studies or Middle East studies or Chinese

02:46studies are part of DEI if they are taught as part of the total history package. So that if you're giving

02:53the facts on both sides, of course they're not DEI. I don't know what both sides of African American

02:58history would be. Well, if African American history is part of... Certainly, but what we recognize

03:03throughout public education is that a course is only one year or one semester. It would be impossible to

03:09teach African history and say European history at the same time. Do you not agree that it makes sense that

03:14there would be separate courses for these courses of study? It has happened throughout history.

03:18We're able to do it not just in history courses. We're able to do it with different types of

03:23literature courses or different types of music courses. One wouldn't learn about Baroque music

03:28and necessarily have to also learn about African drumming at the same time, right? We can separate

03:31those courses. Yes, we can. And I think just as we teach U.S. history is a separate course.

03:36Certainly. So you do not agree. So you do agree that African American cultures and African

03:39history should not be eliminated from courses, particularly AP African history. Well, I think

03:44that African history can certainly be taught and not be considered a DEI course. Oh, thank you. I have

03:49a few other examples that I would like to your thoughts on, simple yes or no. If this is a DEI,

03:55a legal DEI, a good example, would you say that it would be an illegal DEI for a lesson plan on the Tulsa

04:01race massacre? I'd have to get back to you on that. Do you know what the Tulsa race massacre is? I'd like to look

04:07into it more and get back to you on it. Okay, so I look forward to that. How about the book Through

04:12My Eyes by Ruby Bridges, for instance? I haven't read that. Have you learned about Ruby Bridges?

04:20If you have specific examples you'd like to write. That was a specific example. I'll be very happy.

04:24It was an incredibly specific example. It was an incredibly specific example. I named a specific book.

04:27And I will look into it and get back to you on them. Thank you. How about a school having a voluntary

04:31celebration for Pride Month? Well, I think that... Voluntary. Well, let's make sure that in our

04:39schools... This is yes or no. We're looking... No, it's not. Okay. How about social studies standards

04:43that teach that President Biden won the 2020 election? I think our studies should all be taught

04:50accurately. Yes or no? I think our studies should be taught accurately. No, no, no. The question was,

04:55do you believe that social studies standards that teach that President Biden won the 2020 election

04:59is an illegal DEI? Yes or no? I think I have said we should teach accurately. We should... No, you have

05:05not answered the question. I don't understand why you're incapable of answering... I'm just not giving

05:09you the answer you want. No, I want the answer, whatever your answer is. I just gave you the answer. No,

05:14the answer is yes or no. No, the answer is... The answer is yes or no. The answer is yes or no.

05:18Gentle ladies, time has... Thank you so much. I got your back.

05:20...expired.

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