WATCH: Congresswoman Hayes Floor Remarks
WASHINGTON – Today, House Republicans advanced the Politics Over Parents Act (H.R. 5) despite strong oppositions from parents, students, educators, and policy experts. The extreme proposal seeks to undermine public education under the guise of ‘parental rights’ and create division in schools by framing parents and educators as adversaries. Ahead of Floor consideration, over 200 organizations voiced their disapproval and stressed the detrimental harm on children. Given the grave concerns over the legislation, Congresswoman Jahana Hayes (CT-05), a career educator, and mother of four along with her fellow ‘Moms in Congress,’ including Representatives Hillary Scholten (MI-03), Jennifer McLellan (VA-04), Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (FL-25), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Becca Balint (VT), and Jill Tokuda (HI-02) voted against the measure and denounced its final passage.
“As a teacher, I understand the critical importance of parent-teacher partnerships. It pains me deeply to watch as these relationships are mischaracterized by some of my colleagues. The public servants who enter the teaching profession do it because they truly believe that on some level they can contribute to student success,” said Congresswoman Hayes. “At a time when students and teachers are facing competing crises on a daily basis, legislators should be fostering cooperation- not division. As both a mother and a teacher, I stand against these attacks and will fight to ensure parents and teachers can work together to ensure every child has access to a high-quality education – free from censorship or bias.”
“As a mom of two school-aged kids, I know how important it is to center parents in the education of our children. Parents across the country are counting on their representatives now more than ever to legislate in a way that will enhance, not inhibit their freedoms, like the freedom to learn and educate their children in a way that prepares them to engage in a 21st century world, their freedom to send their kids to school without fear of violence, and their freedom not to have to choose between gas in the car and food on table,” said Congresswoman Scholten. “But instead, Republicans are doing the opposite. Today, Republicans could have put forward legislation to truly uplift parents—expand the child tax credit, or to lower the cost of insulin for kids, or make college more affordable. But they did not. Instead, they used our time, and taxpayer dollars, to vote on a bill that holds parents hostage to a radical agenda, and makes kids less safe.”
“H.R. 5 is a divisive piece of legislation that puts politics over the needs of our parents and students,” said Congresswoman McClellan. “As a mother of two young children in our public school system, I know parents are concerned about mental health resources, safe and constructive school environments, and much-needed funding for crumbling buildings and equipment. This legislation disregards those priorities and instead aims to bring unnecessary culture wars into the classroom. I strongly oppose this legislation, because parents and students deserve action and tangible results, not a political stunt.”
“HR 5 would expand the colossal education nightmare unfolding in my home state of Florida, where state lawmakers ban books, suppress African American history, and now propose barring girls from discussing their menstrual cycle with one another in school,” said Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz, the Moms in the House Caucus founder and a mother of three who attended public schools. “At a time when LGBTQ+ youth face a relentless politicization of their lives, HR 5 could even require schools to forcibly out transgender youth to their parents. I speak for millions of moms when I say that all we want for our children is a safe learning environment that ensures they discover the wider world, and not one that forces them to grow into narrow-minded, ignorant adults. This legislation just hands a vocal and extreme minority of parents the power to dictate what every American child learns.”
“My daughter is a public high school student and I’ve always been an involved parent,” said Congresswoman Salinas. “That’s why I’m so offended by the suggestion that H.R. 5 is a legitimate education bill. This isn’t about parental involvement, it’s about right-wing political interference. My idea of a good education bill is one that boosts teacher pay, reduces class sizes, and enhances campus safety. Not an unfunded mandate, intended to punish our public schools. I’m a mom, an involved parent, and a proud no on this punitive, unproductive bill.”
“As a gay woman and mom of two teens, I’m so tired of these hateful attacks on LGBTQ+ youth, on families, on teachers. We won’t stand for it and we can’t let it become our norm,” said Congresswoman Balint. “In a moment where LGBTQ+ kids need our support more than ever; Republicans passed a sham bill that does not help our kids. This has never been about freedom or protecting children. It inserts the federal government between parents, students, and schools. It promotes censorship and book banning. And it puts students at risk when we should be focused on investing in their success. Moms want safe, high-quality education for their kids and don’t have time for these games that do nothing but stoke fear. I’m disturbed that the majority continues to ignite culture wars for political gain, when there is real work to be done.”
“I’m proud to be a mom of two young boys in public schools, a public-school graduate, and a strong supporter of the rights of parents to be involved in their child’s education. While H.R. 5 claims to be about parental rights, the reality is that it’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing strategically designed to fuel division in our schools and communities,” said Congresswoman Tokuda. “Instead of encouraging educators and parents to work together in shaping local curriculum based on the age-appropriate needs of students, H.R. 5 would pit families and schools against each other at the expense of our most vulnerable: our keiki. It’s a sad day when a bill such as this passes the U.S. House of Representatives. Clearly, House Republicans are more interested in advancing culture wars and personal political agendas than solving the problems facing our public schools. I will continue to stand strong with my colleagues to ensure all students can truly access a quality education that will enable them to lead healthy and successful lives.”