[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 12 (Wednesday, January 19, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Page S353]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE RESOLUTION 493--RECOGNIZING THE NECESSITY OF SCHOOL CHOICE AS A 
    TOOL TO EMPOWER ALL PARENTS WITH THE FREEDOM TO CHOOSE THE BEST 
 EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT FOR THEIR CHILDREN AND TO COMBAT DESTRUCTIVE 
  IDEOLOGIES LIKE CRITICAL RACE THEORY PROMOTED BY MANY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

  Mr. LANKFORD (for himself, Mr. Cramer, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Braun, Mrs. 
Hyde-Smith, Mr. Cruz, Mr. Rubio, Mr. Boozman, Mr. Inhofe, Mr. Daines, 
and Mr. Wicker) submitted the following resolution; which was referred 
to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions:
       Whereas the 14th Amendment to the Constitution of the 
     United States provides every American with equal protection 
     under the law;
       Whereas the First Amendment to the Constitution of the 
     United States protects Americans against compelled speech;
       Whereas the idea that any race, ethnicity, color, or 
     national origin is inherently superior or inferior should not 
     be forced into any required curriculum;
       Whereas teaching students that they are guilty or 
     victimized based on the color of their skin is inherently 
     discriminatory and anti-American;
       Whereas parents should have the ability to choose a school 
     for their child based on their child's individual needs, 
     academic goals, and personal and religious beliefs;
       Whereas the COVID-19 pandemic caused schools across the 
     country to close for a significant amount of time, creating a 
     loss in learning progress and social and emotional skills for 
     many students;
       Whereas COVID-19-related school closures and policy changes 
     should ensure that the individualized educational plans for 
     students with special needs and disabilities are met;
       Whereas parents are seeking more options for their child's 
     schooling due to learning loss, mask mandates, and COVID-19 
     vaccine mandates that many States and schools are imposing;
       Whereas school choice is more important than ever to ensure 
     that children can attend the school that works best for them 
     and in light of the threats imposed by Critical Race Theory 
     and overreaching mandates regarding COVID-19;
       Whereas it is documented that certain school boards are 
     actively silencing the voices of concerned parents and 
     impeding their ability to have a say in their children's 
     education; and
       Whereas Attorney General Merrick Garland has abused his 
     office by directing Federal law enforcement to engage in 
     local issues, thus threatening legitimately concerned parents 
     away from advocating for their children's right to a quality 
     and unbiased education: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) recognizes and promotes the importance of parental 
     involvement in their child's education; and
       (2) recognizes the necessity of school choice as a tool to 
     empower all parents with the freedom to choose the best 
     educational environment for their children and to reject the 
     destructive ideologies promoted by many public schools, such 
     as Critical Race Theory.

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