[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 190 (Thursday, October 28, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7463-S7464]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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   SENATE RESOLUTION 431--SUPPORTING THE RIGHT OF PARENTS TO BE THE 
            LEADING VOICE IN THE EDUCATION OF THEIR CHILDREN

  Mr. SCOTT of Florida (for himself, Mr. Burr, Mrs. Hyde-Smith, Mr. 
McConnell, Mr. Marshall, Ms. Lummis, Mr. Rubio, Mr. Johnson, Mr. 
Boozman, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Braun, Mr. Risch, Mr. Crapo, Mr. Tillis, Mr. 
Graham, Mr. Inhofe, Mr. Tuberville, Mr. Hoeven, Mr. Moran, Mrs. 
Blackburn, Mrs. Fischer, Mr. Cramer, Mr. Lee, Mr. Cotton, Mr. Grassley, 
Ms. Ernst, Mr. Scott of South Carolina, Mr. Barrasso, Mr. Wicker, Mr. 
Lankford, and Mr. Cornyn) submitted the following resolution; which was 
referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions:

                              S. Res. 431

       Whereas parents are the first teachers of their children 
     and have the inherent and fundamental right to make decisions 
     regarding the upbringing, education, and care of their 
     children;
       Whereas parental involvement in the educational system 
     contributes to a collaborative environment with school 
     administrators and teachers, which enhances the educational 
     outcomes of all students;
       Whereas school board officials, school administrators, and 
     teachers are public servants, and parents are entitled to 
     demand accountability from such public servants for policies 
     and actions that affect their children;
       Whereas the public meetings of the school board in Loudoun 
     County, Virginia, have become emblematic of the increased 
     engagement by concerned parents across the United States with 
     respect to school policies and educational curricula 
     impacting their children;
       Whereas labor organizations representing teachers and 
     school boards have begun advocating that administrators and 
     teachers should not listen to parents who express concerns 
     regarding such policies and curricula;
       Whereas school administrators and school board officials 
     have alarmingly implemented policies designed--
       (1) to restrict parental involvement at public meetings;
       (2) to prohibit parental visitation with children during 
     school hours; and
       (3) to limit parental input on policies and race-based 
     curricula taught in the classroom;
       Whereas, in a September 2021 letter to President Joseph R. 
     Biden, Jr., the National School Boards Association--
       (1) compared grassroots demonstrations and protests by 
     concerned parents against

[[Page S7464]]

     harmful school policies and educational curricula affecting 
     their children to ``domestic terrorism and hate crimes'' 
     against school boards, administrators, and teachers; and
       (2) requested that the President use Federal law 
     enforcement resources and legal authorities designed to 
     address domestic terrorism, such as the authorities provided 
     by the USA PATRIOT Act (Public Law 107-56; 115 Stat. 272), to 
     investigate and prosecute parents who protest against such 
     policies and curricula;
       Whereas, in response to such letter, United States Attorney 
     General Merrick Garland issued a memorandum, dated October 4, 
     2021, directing Federal law enforcement resources to be used 
     to discourage, investigate, and prosecute parents engaged in 
     such demonstrations and protests; and
       Whereas parents should be at the forefront of the decisions 
     affecting the education and well-being of their children, and 
     school boards, school administrators, and teachers should 
     work collaboratively with parents to improve educational 
     outcomes rather than treat parents as intruders in the 
     education of their children: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) supports the right of parents to be the leading voice 
     in the education of their children;
       (2) condemns threats and acts of violence against school 
     board officials, school administrators, and teachers;
       (3) denounces attempts by school board officials, school 
     administrators, and teachers to restrict parental involvement 
     in the development and implementation of school policies and 
     educational curricula affecting their children;
       (4) rejects the threatened or actual use of Federal or 
     State law enforcement resources to intimidate parents and 
     silence parental involvement in decisions affecting the 
     education of their children;
       (5) encourages schools and parents to enter into 
     constructive and open dialogue regarding school policies, 
     curricula, and instructional materials to improve the 
     educational outcomes of all students; and
       (6) demands Attorney General Merrick Garland rescind the 
     memorandum issued on October 4, 2021, that inappropriately 
     directs Federal law enforcement resources to be used against 
     parents advocating on behalf of their children against 
     harmful school policies, curricula, and instructional 
     materials.

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