The public and journalists often chastise Congress for passing “messages” bills.
Here’s more about a “messages” bill.
The House or Senate know that a bill has little chance of becoming law. But the party in power wants to send ‘a message’. Sometimes that message is sent to the base. A bill may state, “We hear you. We know you want us to approve this.” The message is sometimes protective. Congress can be criticized for not addressing a particular issue. The legislation thus serves as a fig leaf.
Speaking of messages, Republicans in Congress have certainly gotten the message about public education during the pandemic. Online education for K-12 exposed what GOPers say are deep flaws in public education. Parents became annoyed with the lessons they had seen in class – beamed through to the kitchen table. Some parents were also upset by school closures, mask requirements and vaccines.
“Post-COVID, the veil has been lifted on a corrupt system that has indoctrinated our children with racial division and hatred. Parents are awake now,” said Rep. Chip Roy, R-Tex.
U.S. Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), along with other Republican lawmakers, will hold a news conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC, on March 24, 2023. McCarthy spoke after the House passed the Parents Bill of Rights Act, 213-208 and sent the bill to the Senate. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Raucous school board meetings made headlines in 2021 and 2022. Problems with public education even drove Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) reelection and led Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) to victory.
That’s why House Republicans pledged to develop an “old-fashioned statement” before the 2022 midterm elections in their “Pledge to America” campaign document. Republicans know that education and the role of parents came out as a wedge. The House of Representatives approved the bill late last week. And even if the plan never becomes law, House Republicans can point out that the legislation delivers on a key campaign promise — and sends a message.
MINNESOTA LAWYER WARNS ‘INSIDIOUS’ BILL FOR ‘TRANS REFUGE’, SAYS PARENTAL RIGHTS WILL BE STRIPED
The bill requires school districts to publish the curriculum, offer at least two face-to-face meetings with parents each year, allow parents to speak at school board meetings, limit which pronouns teachers are allowed to use to address students, and publish the book collection in the school library.
“The left is terrified that parents have more say in their children’s education,” argued House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La. “Why do we need a law to do what everyone thinks is the right thing to do?”
In response to the frenzied school board meetings, the Justice Department issued a memo citing “a disturbing spike in harassment, intimidation and threats of violence against school administrators, board members, teachers and school staff.” Republicans say the memo went too far and suggested the DoJ labeled parents “terrorists.”
“I don’t think the FBI or any of those organizations are targeting parents unnecessarily,” says Rep. Glenn Ivey, D-Md. “I’ve seen a lot of threats and I’ve talked to some people in those offices. They feel personally threatened. Their families have been threatened. I think it’s important for the police to look into that.”
Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives, holds a copy of Jonah Winter’s “Roberto Clemente,” which was recently banned from public schools in Florida’s Duval County, during a press conference at the U.S. Capitol on May 24 March 2023 in Washington, DC. Jeffries spoke out against the recently passed Parents Bill of Rights Act and the banning and censoring of books in schools. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
But, as is often the case, books and what students read emerged as the biggest flashpoint in the parental rights debate. Both sides have converted the house floor into a virtual library, bringing in piles of books as props to clarify which books were offensive — or unfairly targeted for removal.
Representative Ralph Norman, RS.C. highlighted a book titled “Beyond Magenta.” He said it was a book “about the LBGTQ youth”. He also mentioned additional titles “The Book is Gay” and “Gender Queer”.
“Parents, is this something you want your kids to read?” Norman asked.
Democrats argued that Republicans focused only on certain types of books.
“‘The Life of Rosa Parks.’ “Who is Sojourner Truth?” “Nelson Mandela’s Biography.” “The story of Harvey Milk,” Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., the top Democrat on the Rules Committee, recited as he held up each tome. “Do you see a pattern here? They want books about black and brown people and LGBTQ+ people forbid. It’s sick. It’s hateful.”
Democrats said Republicans only took care of certain parents.
“When they talk about parental rights, they’re talking about a specific demographic of parents,” said Representative Jamaal Bowman, DN.Y. “Those books are an attack on black or brown students.”
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, DN.Y., suggested Republicans were trying to attack “marginalized communities” in “the flowery language of ‘parental rights'”
“I can say what my progressive value is. And that is freedom over fascism,” Ocasio-Cortez said.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (DN.Y.) speaks at a press conference on Capitol Hill (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Ironically, Republicans railed against the federal government’s role in local education. Many GOPers campaigned for years for the abolition of the Ministry of Education. Some lawmakers—on both sides, by the way—thought it was a bit rich that Republicans now wanted to dictate education policy from Capitol Hill.
“This legislation is nothing more than an attempt to nationalize our education system,” said D-Penn Representative Mary Gay Scanlon.
When challenged about passing state requirements, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., insisted that Congress not interfere with local policy.
“This has nothing to do with Washington,” McCarthy said. “This says the parent can now know what is being taught in the school.”
The House passed parental rights measure 213-208. All Democrats voted no.
“This bill should have passed unanimously. Unfortunately, some members are more concerned with appeasing teachers’ unions and radical activists in their party than with parents,” said Tom Emmer, R-Minn, the majority party in the House.
“PARENTAL RIGHTS FOR WHOM?” WAPO COLUMNIST ATTACKS ‘RABBLE-BREAKING’ PARENTS FOR SCHOOL PROBLEMS
But Emmer, who is responsible for collecting GOP votes for bills, failed to get unanimity on his side of the aisle.
Representatives Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., Ken Buck, R-Colo., Matt Rosendale, R-Mont., and Mike Lawler, RN.Y., all voted no.
But overall, Republicans stuck together to pass an important tenet of their legislative agenda.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) delivers remarks at an event introducing the Parents Bill of Rights Act with Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-Va.) (L) and Rep. Julia Letlow (R-La.) in the Rayburn Room at the Capitol on March 1, 2023 in Washington, DC. According to the Speaker’s office, “The Bill of Rights for Parents is designed to empower parents and ensure they can be involved in their children’s education.”
This brings us back to ‘messages’.
The Chamber approved the package. But it meets a blockade over the Capitol Rotunda.
“The Republican House school control bill is Orwellian to the core and will not see the light of day here in the Senate,” said Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, DN.Y.
Republicans delivered on their campaign promise. But it’s dead in the water.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
This is symbolic of legislation that can pass through the House and Senate this Congress. The narrow lines of demarcation make it unlikely that either body will shift much of anything to President Biden’s desk.
That means you may not get many laws over the next two years.
But everyone understands ‘the message’.
Chad Pergram is currently senior congressional correspondent for FOX News Channel (FNC). He joined the network in September 2007 and is based in Washington, DC
