The
House Education and Workforce
Committee advanced two bills in the wee hours of the morning Thursday that would establish a
parents’ bill of rights
and ban biological males from competing in
women’s sports
programs.
Following a marathon markup meeting, the committee voted along party lines to advance two bills to the floor of the House of Representatives. The parents’ bill of rights has been earmarked as a legislative priority by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and will be brought to a floor vote this month.
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Education and Workforce Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) celebrated the committee passage of HR 5, the parents’ bill of rights, in a Thursday statement, saying the legislation “reaffirms the rights of parents to ensure the success and well-being of their child while at school.”
“For too long, parents were kept in the dark about what was happening in the classroom,” she said. “When kitchen tables became classrooms and parents spoke out about what was actually being taught, they were silenced or ignored by teachers unions and education bureaucrats; the Secretary of Education even solicited a letter to brand these parents as domestic terrorists. That kind of insanity ends with this bill. Parents will finally be empowered to examine classroom curricula and protect the safety and privacy of their children without fear of being targeted by the federal government.”
The bill, which was sponsored by Rep. Julia Letlow (R-LA), would require all public school districts to disclose their curriculum materials to parents, mandate parental consent for participation in student surveys, and prohibit schools from selling student information “for commercial or financial gain.” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) said Wednesday the bill would be brought to a vote in two weeks.
“On a final note, as we’re continuing to move forward on our commitment to America, I want to applaud [congresswoman] Julia Letlow and the Education Committee because having a parents’ bill of rights was one of those key planks in our commitment to America,” Scalise said at a press conference. “We’ll vote on it when we return in two weeks.”
The committee also advanced HR 734, the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, which would require all student-athletes to compete in sports programs in accordance with their biological sex. The bill mirrors several state bills that have been passed in recent years.
“Passing the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act is an important step in upholding the decades of progress made by women since the enactment of Title IX,” Foxx said. “Progressives are pushing a gender-bending agenda that erodes this progress and ignores science, but Committee Republicans are firm in our commitment to protecting — and cultivating — opportunities for women to succeed.”
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Both bills received no support from House Democrats, who ripped the bills as an example of the GOP politicizing education.
“We all agree that parental engagement is essential for student success, and that Congress has a role in promoting students’ participation in sports. Unfortunately, neither of the bills before us today addresses the real challenges facing students, parents, and educators,” Education Workforce Committee ranking member Bobby Scott (D-VA) said in a statement. “Instead, the majority has chosen to use our first markup to advance a political agenda by politicizing students’ education and scapegoating some of our most vulnerable students as the cause of inequity in athletics.”
