Parents Bill of Rights Act

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mrs. HAYES. Madam Chair, I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 5, the politics over parents act.

One of the most dangerous provisions of this bill is the banning of books. Across our Nation, books that illustrate our rich history and our diversity are being pulled from library shelves. According to PEN American's ``Index of School Book Bans,'' of the 2,500 books banned last year, 41 percent of these books explicitly address LGBTQ themes, and 40 percent contain prominent characters of color.

My colleagues across the aisle say that nothing in this legislation will ban books or censor libraries. If this is true, I invite them to support my amendment, which ensures this legislation will not go into effect until the Comptroller General of the United States can confirm that the bill will not lead to censorship or banning books for children or affect learning outcomes for students.

Throughout history, the voices of women, persons of color, and members of the LGBTQ community have been suppressed. Their voices, experiences, and stories have been labeled controversial, oversexual, and even un-American.

As a teacher, you do not get to pick the parts of history you deem worthy to teach. When I was a teacher, I told the entire story honestly, the good and the bad, and gave students the tools that they needed to participate in their communities in a conscientious and productive way.

I will tell you a personal story. My son is currently reading ``To Kill a Mockingbird,'' one of the books on this list of banned books. In his initial observation of this book, he said: ``Mom, they use the n- word a lot.'' I mean, a lot, and I don't like it, but it opened the door to broader conversations between me and my son about segregation and Jim Crow laws, and it led him to ask some very difficult questions of me.

In his final observation of Harper Lee's novel, he said: ``But yet and still, Atticus Finch defended Tom Robinson.'' Through this complex story, his takeaway was not hateful, hurtful, or angry. It was that, even then, good people existed.

That is what books do. That is how kids learn, not through censorship.

Teachers do not have the autonomy to indoctrinate students. Everything we are talking about here today is already published. Budgets are public. Curriculums are public. Parents are marching in, being a part of our classes.

When I was introduced by the ranking member, he mentioned that I was the National Teacher of the Year. That doesn't happen without parent- teacher partnerships.

This bill will not improve educational outcomes. This bill caters to a small group of individuals who seek to impose their world views on entire school districts, on my child.

Madam Chair, I strongly encourage my colleagues to oppose this bill, and I include in the Record the text of my amendment.

Mrs. Hayes of Connecticut moves to recommit the bill H.R. 5 to the Committee on Education and the Workforce with instructions to report the same back to the House forthwith, with the following amendment:

Add at the end the following: TITLE VII--EFFECTIVE DATE SEC. 701. EFFECTIVE DATE.

This Act, and the amendments made by this Act, shall not take effect until the Comptroller General of the United States--

(1) makes a determination that this Act will not--

(A) result in the banning or censorship of books for children attending public elementary and secondary schools; or

(B) negatively affect learning outcomes for such children; and

(2) submits notice of such determination to Congress.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source