Biden official takes fire in heated exchange over stripping lunch money from schools protecting girls' sports

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President Biden's Education secretary, Miguel Cardona, came under intense fire Tuesday during a heated exchange with a Republican lawmaker over the administration's proposed changes to Title IX rules that would force schools receiving federal finding to allow biological males to compete in girls' sports.

The exchange between Cardona and Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., happened during a House Education Committee hearing on Capitol Hill, and included Banks grilling Cardona on what would happen to students who take advantage of school lunch programs at schools affected by funding cuts for not complying with the proposed rule change.

"Indiana, my home state, recently passed a law at the state legislature that banned biological males from competing against girls in high school and elementary sports because, obviously, biological males have some physical traits that would give them an advantage in sports over girls," Banks said to Cardona during his questioning. 

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"The Education Department, your department, has proposed a rule change that would pull federal funding from schools that don't allow biological males to compete against girls in sports. Mr. Secretary, yes or no, does that mean that your department would take away school lunch programs for needy kids because a state or a school won't allow a boy to compete against a girl in the sports?" Banks asked.

Cardona avoided directly answering the question before Banks interrupted him and asked, "No, no, I'm asking you a question. Do you support taking away school lunches from kids who go to schools where boys aren't allowed to play on girls' sports teams?"

"We are promoting the most rigorous, intensive academic programming under Raise the Bar. I would love to share more information —" Cardona responded, before Banks asked a third time.

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Biden Education Secretary Miguel Cardona (left) and Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., (right). (Getty Images)

Cardona again avoided directly answering the question.

"It's a yes or no question, Mr. Secretary," Banks said, to which Cardona responded, "I'm proud of the work we're doing to make sure that all students feel safe in school."

Banks, appearing frustrated, said, "Madam chair, the answer is yes. This administration would take away shool lunches from kids who need that lunch, maybe the only warm meal they might ever get, because of the radical agenda of this administration."

The Biden administration first released its proposed new Title IX rules that would bar schools that receive federal funding from enforcing policies that ban biological males from playing girl's sports last month.

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Demonstrators listen to the speaking program during an "Our Bodies, Our Sports" rally for the 50th anniversary of Title IX at Freedom Plaza on June 23, 2022, in Washington, D.C.  (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

The U.S. Department of Education proposed to amend Title IX in order to set out a standard that would "govern a recipient’s adoption or application of sex-related criteria that would limit or deny a student’s eligibility to participate on a male or female athletic team consistent with their gender identity."

The proposed regulation also would provide needed clarity on how schools can ensure that students have equal opportunity to participate on male and female athletic teams as required by Title IX.

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Fox News' Joshua Q. Nelson contributed to this report.