Education Secretary Miguel Cardona is embarking on a tour aimed at showcasing the Biden administration’s initiatives, including student debt forgiveness and FAFSA clinics. However, this move is seen by many conservatives as an attempt to mask the administration’s failures and misguided policies. Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders of Arkansas is among those voicing strong opposition to Cardona’s agenda, highlighting concerns about the fairness, legality, and effectiveness of these initiatives.
In a letter co-signed by state Education Secretary Jacob Oliva, Governor Sanders expressed skepticism about the Biden administration’s student debt forgiveness program. She argued that this program unfairly burdens non-college attendees with the financial responsibility for others’ education. Moreover, Sanders pointed out the lack of a plan to address the escalating costs of college tuition, coupled with the program’s questionable constitutionality as determined by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Regarding Cardona’s visit to discuss the FAFSA program, Governor Sanders raised serious concerns about the Department of Education’s mismanagement, resulting in operational difficulties and delays that disproportionately affect low-income students and families. She emphasized the urgent need for solutions and clarity to alleviate the challenges faced by students navigating the FAFSA process.
Sanders also criticized the Biden administration’s broader approach to education, citing controversies such as attempts to shut down Christian universities, opposition to education freedom, and confrontations with parents advocating for their children’s education rights at school board meetings. In contrast, she highlighted Arkansas’s successful education policies, including significant increases in teacher pay, investments in literacy and technical education, and measures to protect girls’ sports.
Summing up Cardona’s tenure, Sanders characterized it as marred by missteps like the botched FAFSA update and the controversial student debt forgiveness program. She urged Cardona to offer more than mere rhetoric during his visit to Little Rock and to address the real challenges facing Arkansas and the nation’s education system.
