Jim Banks

We must do everything that we can to preserve the meritocracy of our military.

I think you owe it to the committee to tell us how much, what do you think the difference would be?

If Congress nominates candidates to the academies, why, why do we have to take race into consideration at all?

The goals that we have are application goals.

And, therefore, naturally we have enjoyed applications from a very diverse group of people in this country.

So, race-based composition goals for the Class of 2027? Simple question.

I wish that we would get back to the 'Be All You Can Be' Army that we were and not try and go ahead and start driving a political agenda.

Are you meeting your race-based composition goals at West Point?

I still urge you as leaders of these academies to consider that much of the DEI and inclusivity training not only doesn't work to decrease bias, but it is actually the weaponization of one ideological position, identity over all else.

I have an amendment at the desk. The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment. The text of the amendment is as follows: At the end of subtitle G of title V, insert the following: SEC. 5__. PROHIBITION ON USE OF QUOTAS BASED ON…

This amendment is simple. It ensures our military service academies are in line with the Supreme Court's recent decision on the unconstitutionality of race-based affirmative action, and it strives to uphold the ideals of meritocracy, which…

I am glad my colleague brought up the Penn Biden Center because I want to ask some more questions about it.

The sheer amount of Chinese donations to the Penn Biden Center was not, that was not normal.

I thank the chairman for yielding and for his incredible leadership in doing everything he can to support our troops and to keep America safe and secure. That is why I stand here, Mr. Chairman, before you today in strong support of this…

The Trump administration was night and day different on this than your administration.

the policies of this administration opening the border wide open, has resulted in hundreds of thousands of migrant children entering the workforce in America in unsafe conditions.

Since the Biden administration started, we have seen a 69 percent increase in child labor violations because of the open border policies.

I mean stunningly your colleague to your left just defended these left wing causes and talked about their funneling.

I think when he like, many other union members, be appalled to hear the answer of your colleague on the panel that defending these left-wing causes?

Mr. Secretary, in April 2021, your Department proposed a rule incentivizing public schools to incorporate critical race theory in U.S. history and civics classes.

This administration would take away school lunches from kids who need that lunch, maybe the only warm meal that they might ever get because of the radical agenda of this administration.

Mr. Kendi also in his book he stated that capitalism is essentially racist, so at one point you wanted to teach our kids Ibram X. Kendi's findings.

The 1619 project teaches that Abraham Lincoln is a white supremacist. Is Abraham Lincoln a white supremacist?

I was just hoping you would tell us you backtracked on it because ultimately you came to the conclusion that it is inappropriate to teach our kids critical race theory.

You took it out. Did you take it out because you decided ultimately that what they are teaching is inappropriate to teach our kids?