Arizona Representative Andy Biggs (R-AZ-05) recently sent a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack, challenging Woke gender policy changes that threaten school meal-plan funding.
“In an effort to appease the Left’s woke gender agenda, the USDA is now attempting to hold American schools hostage,” Biggs said in a press release. “USDA’s definition changes of ‘sex discrimination’ would only harm American students. The department is coercing American schools to adopt the Biden Administration’s radical gender equality platform or else it will strip student benefits from these schools.”
Furthermore, Biggs stated that the expanded definition has no legal standing, and Vilsack must rescind the policy.
Thirteen other Republican representatives from around the country co-signed the letter sent by Biggs, which outlines their problems with the policy change and demands from Vilsack.
According to the letter, the USDA justified the policy change by referencing the Supreme Court’s decision in Bostock v. Clayton, which extended Title VII workplace discrimination protections to gay and transgender people. However, Biggs said in his letter that Bostock v. Clayton is “only limited to Title VII, workplace discrimination on the basis of an employer firing someone, and any other component of that statue nor other statues, like Title IX.”
“Millions of students receive benefits from your department every day. The National School Lunch Program provides over a billion lunches to students during a given year. Any ‘changes’ to the discrimination allegations procedures would only harm students and force upon them the Biden administration’s transgender agenda. This is unacceptable and goes far beyond the authority of your department,” according to the letter.
Biggs’ letter ends by asking Vilsack three questions: what authority does the USDA have to implement the policy change; will he open Office of Civil Rights investigations on schools that do not comply with the policy; and what exactly constitutes discrimination that could lead to an investigation. Biggs requested Vilsack provide a response by July 8th.
Yesterday, I sent a letter to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack.
The department is threatening to withhold funding for school meal programs unless schools indoctrinate children about radical gender identity programs.
This policy change is unacceptable. https://t.co/Z0BeNvQ6Ez
— Rep Andy Biggs (@RepAndyBiggsAZ) June 28, 2022
The Arizona Sun Times reported that other Arizona officials spoke out against these policy changes. The Arizona State Senate Majority Team released a joint statement condemning the USDA’s actions. The Arizona State Senate further told The Sun Times that legal action against the Biden administration is not out of the question.
“The federal government is literally threatening to stop feeding the poorest of children if schools don’t allow boys in girls’ bathrooms, boys in girls’ showers, or boys on girls’ sports teams,” according to the release. “‘Sexual orientation’ and ‘gender identity’ are broad, unscientific, and ill-defined subjective terms. Under these rules, a biological male can wake up one day, decide he’s a female and join the girls in the locker room. Every parent in Arizona should be outraged at Biden’s blatant disregard for student safety.”
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Neil Jones is a reporter for The Arizona Sun Times and The Star News Network. Follow Neil on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Background Photo “USDA Building” by Michael Kranewitter. CC BY-SA 3.0.
