Members of committee are "cosplaying about protecting students equally," says Democratic lawmaker

Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens blasted Republican members of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce for “pretending” to care about equity during today’s hearing.

Stevens brought up a legislation that failed during the 2022 term of Congress that would have excluded LGBTQ+ students from receiving mental health care on campuses.

“I know this hearing is important to many stakeholders and many individuals. I come from Michigan —we’re in the heart in this rising challenge of an ongoing and brutal and terrible war — but as a Democrat on this committee who is focused on increasing and expanding Pell (Grants), lowering the cost of high education, and trying to build equity, it is deeply frustrating and concerning that this is the third hearing that we’ve had cosplaying about protecting students equally when every single one of my colleagues last term in Congress voted to exclude a group of students from receiving mental health resources,” Stevens said.

Stevens added that she hoped those members would not vote to exclude other students from minority groups as well.

“We have tons of issues before us in this country, and frankly those who pretend to care about equity, as we have seen time and time again in this committee, is an outrage. It is an absolute outrage,” Stevens said.

She added:

“We know what it costs to go to your schools. It’s unbelievable how much it costs. That’s what we should be focusing on, not this pretend argument about equity.”