Education Secretary Miguel Cardona slammed House Speaker Kevin McCarthy for a Republican budget proposal the White House estimates would cut 22% from the nation's budget and tighten funding for America's schools, going as far as to call it an attempt to "undermine education."
Republican-backed culture warrior candidates fared poorly in Illinois and Wisconsin, with conservative groups such as Moms for Liberty reporting disappointing performances.
A bill banning transgender athletes in K12 girls' sports was approved by House Republicans Thursday despite there being zero chance the measure will become law.
The proposed rule, which does not require legislative approval, is part of a broader rightward push on cultural issues that DeSantis has championed for what is widely expected to be a 2024 presidential campaign.
"Leaders in government and beyond must redouble efforts to end, once and for all, the scourge of gun violence in and around our schools," wrote U.S. Department of Education Secretary Miguel Cardona.
In other superintendent shifts, a big city school board scoffs at three finalists chosen by its search firm while a state superintendent is urging a district to change course on a new hire.
Civil rights advocates argue that his bill represents a return to the kind of zero-tolerance discipline that disproportionately impacts children of color. They worry the standard for removing a student from class under the bill is too low and would be based on subjective reasons.
"This is a parental rights bill," Republican Rep. Chip Brown, the sponsor of the bill, told the committee. "It's a bill that basically says, as a parent, that I should make the health decisions for my children, not the state."
