OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Parents Bill of Rights Act

Floor Speech

Date: March 23, 2023
Location: Washington, DC

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Mr. LANDSMAN. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to this controversial and highly dangerous bill, H.R. 5.

I am a former teacher. My parents were teachers. I have been doing child education advocacy my entire career. My wife and I are parents of two public school children right now. This is our lives. This is what we do day in and day out.

I want to be very clear so that my colleagues understand what rights I have as a parent, which are the same rights that all Americans, all parents in America, have if their children are in public schools.

I can go speak to the school board whenever I want. I can do that now. I have that right.

Madam Chair, I can ask about the books. I can ask about the budget.

Of course, I can get information about the medical condition of my children. I have that right now.

My colleagues have to know this. If they do not, and this is news to them, they can pull the bill.

Right now, this new national ban and set of controls will simply lead to our schools, our teachers, and many of our parents drowning in lawsuits.

I offered two amendments. One was a litigation shield to help protect our folks from obviously dangerous lawsuits that would come of this if this bill were to pass. The second was to opt out if a district does not want to be part of this because I believe in local control, as do most of the people in my district. Republicans, Democrats, and Independents believe in local control. Let school districts opt out.

It is not about local control. This is about taking a small, teeny ideology and forcing it on the rest of us. As a parent, I can say on behalf of so many parents, leave us alone.

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Mr. LANDSMAN. Madam Chair, we need politicians at the State level and D.C. politicians with this bill to get out of our lives, get out of our doctors' offices, get out of our classrooms, and, as a parent, get out of my house. Let me parent my child.

Madam Chair, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on H.R. 5.

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