Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies

The Subcommittee will come to order.

Good morning and thank you for being here. Mr. Secretary, it is good to have you here. It is also good to have the Budget Director from the Department here as well. Thank you for taking the time out of your schedule and we appreciate your presence here. I look forward to your testimony.

I'd like to start by expressing my concern with the new rule your Department just proposed which would establish that schools violate Title Nine when they categorically ban biological male students from participating in women's sports teams. Forcing schools to allow biological teen males into girls' locker rooms is one of the greatest overreaches of the federal government I have ever seen.

Not only does this undermine decades of work in giving girls the same opportunities to compete in women's sports – the original intent of Title Nine - it creates potentially unsafe situations.

Good morning. I've really been looking forward to our hearing today. First, I would like to thank all our witnesses for taking time to come speak to us today.

Good Morning, Mr. Secretary. It is my pleasure to welcome you to the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education for our very first budget hearing of the year, which happens to also be my first budget hearing as Chairman. We are looking forward to hearing your testimony.

Mr. Secretary, as I've been coming up to speed as the new Chairman, I've been learning more about the incredible breadth of programs under your jurisdiction. From overseeing research that we hope will cure diseases like cancer and Alzheimer's, providing childcare and early learning for our littlest Americans, training our next generation of medical professionals, and administering health insurance for our Nation's poor and aging populations, it is clear that your responsibilities are many.