A debate over the Bill of Rights has broken out the past few years. An overhaul was bound to happen.
And now Congress has passed a NEW Bill of Rights that you need to read about.
In order to safeguard parental rights in education, House Republicans passed H.R. 5, widely known as the “Parents Bill of Rights,” on Friday.
The Hill reports that the vote passed 213-2018 and will now go to the Senate. Along with all of the Democrats, five Republican House members voted against the proposal. Reps. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), Andy Biggs (R-AZ), Ken Buck (R-CO), Matt Rosendale (R-MT), and Rep. Mike Lawler make up this group (R-NY).
This month saw the initial introduction of the legislation. The law gives parents the right to know what is being taught in schools and to see the reading materials used in those schools, as well as the right to be heard by school officials, to view the school budget and spending, to protect their child’s privacy, and to be informed of any violent activity taking place at those schools.
McCarthy remarked in remarks at the United States Capitol when the bill was announced, “You have a say in your children’s kids’ education, not government and not telling you what to do.”
EVERY parent deserves:
•The right to know what’s being taught in schools & see reading materials.
•The right to be heard.
•The right to see school budgets & spending.
•The right to protect your child’s privacy.
•The right to be updated on any violent activity at school. pic.twitter.com/3lFFkqvLeS— Kevin McCarthy (@SpeakerMcCarthy) March 1, 2023
Parents have a right to know if their child’s school runs, sponsors, or facilitates athletic programs that permit transgender athletes to join a team that corresponds with their gender identity rather than their biological sex, according to an amendment to the bill sponsored by Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO).
The school’s locker rooms and restrooms are subject to the same rules.
Hakeem Jeffries, the House Minority Leader from New York, asserted that the proposal was about “jamming the extreme MAGA Republican ideology down the throats of the children and the parents of the United States of America” and had nothing to do with parental involvement.
During a discussion on the measure on the House floor on Thursday, Rep. Julia Letlow (R-LA), one of the bill’s authors, remarked, “This bill is not complex or complicated.” The law, she continued, “is not an attack on our hardworking teachers, who will always be in my eyes the heroes.”
In her remarks, she said, “This bill attempts to provide more transparency and accountability to education, allowing parents to be educated and when they have questions and concerns to legally bring them to their local school boards.
“Parents across this country have overwhelmingly spoken out – they have had enough. They want a seat at the table because at the end of the day, these are our children, not the government’s.”
See my full remarks on H.R. 5, the Parents Bill of Rights ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/zsWMHzKato
— Congresswoman Julia Letlow (@RepJuliaLetlow) March 23, 2023
According to a recent study, the majority of voters who are registered feel that schools shouldn’t withhold information about a child’s gender identity from parents. Moreover, most respondents were in favor of legislation forcing schools to notify parents if a student wishes to change their identification at school.
The fate of the bill is not necessarily dead on arrival in the U.S. Senate.
There are a number of Democrat Senators that will be pressured by the purple state constituents to vote for this bill that is largely popular with the American people according to the polls.
Joe Manchin could very well vote for the bill, as could the newly independent Senator Kyrsten Sinema who may not be seeking another term in the Upper Chamber of Congress.
We will be sure to keep you updated on developments of this bill.
Stay tuned to the Federalist Wire.