Education secretary nominee Miguel Cardona appears for confirmation hearing and answers questions from Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky.
“If you’re confirmed, will you enforce that Office of Civil Rights opinion?” Paul wondered.
“I understand that there are a lot of concerns about that. If confirmed, it’s my responsibility and my privilege to make sure that we’re following civil rights of all students, and that includes activities that they may engage in in high school or athletics,” Cardona replied.
Paul then asked, “What do you think in general of boys running in girls’ track meets like they’ve been doing in Connecticut?” — “Do you worry about having boys run in girls’ track meets?”
“I think it’s appropriate – I think it’s the legal responsibility for schools to provide opportunities for students to participate in activities and this includes students who are transgender,” Cardona said.
Paul, pressed, “So you don’t have a problem then, of boys running in the girls’ track meets, swimming meets, you name it, you’re OK then with boys competing with girls?”
“Respectfully, senator, I believe I answered the question,” Cardona scoffed.
“I think the fact that you seem to be afraid to answer the question, or you basically do answer the question by saying it’s OK without saying it’s OK, really is a statement to real problem we have and a disconnect between middle America and what most Americans actually believe,” Paul said.
“Who are these people that think it’s okay? From what planet are you from?”
