Burr, Senators Oppose Biden Admin’s Title IX Changes, Call for Enforcement of Existing Regulations

Yesterday, Senator Richard Burr (R-NC), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) submitted their official comment to U.S. Department of Education Secretary Miguel Cardona in response to proposed changes to Title IX, asking instead for the enforcement of existing Title IX regulations.

Joining the letter were Senators John Barrasso (R-WY), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), John Boozman (R-AR), Mike Braun (R-IN), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Steve Daines (R-MT), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), John Hoeven (R-ND), James Inhofe (R-OK), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), and Roger Wicker (R-MS).

In their letter, the Senators detail how the proposed changes to the current Title IX rule will harm students, underscoring its flawed frameworks, weakened due process protection, and infringement on free speech.

“Title IX should be celebrated for its legacy of improving outcomes for women and girls in every facet of education,” the Senators write. “The existing regulations are founded on long-standing legal principles and have withstood multiple legal challenges.”

“The Department’s attempt at rolling back protections for students is not only ill-founded but also arbitrary. The regulations that the Department aims to repeal were the culmination of a nearly three-year, thorough and deliberate process.”

The Senators concluded, “The Department cannot continue to play ping-pong with student’s rights; students deserve a fair process they can rely on. Therefore, we ask that you rescind these proposed regulations and instead enforce the existing regulations in order to ensure Title IX is fairly and adequately enforced.”

To read the full letter, click here.