Republicans’ “Parents Bill of Rights” would harm students’ mental health, ban books, and censor history

Today, Congresswoman Deborah Ross (NC-02) voted against H.R. 5, the “Politics over Parents Act.” This misguided legislation creates unnecessary and burdensome reporting requirements on schools; diverts essential resources and personnel away from meeting families’ and students’ real needs; and opens the door for politicians to dictate what students can and cannot read or learn.

“I support parents, but instead of strengthening parental engagement, this harmful bill pits educators and parents against one another and prevents students from getting the resources they need to learn and thrive,” said Congresswoman Ross. “Republicans rejected amendments offered by my Democratic colleagues that would actually protect American children – from keeping guns out of classrooms to increasing access to mental health professionals. Instead of engaging in political stunts, we should be advancing real solutions for families and students, including investing in affordable child care, increasing teacher pay, and more.”

Contrary to claims made by proponents of H.R. 5, this legislation would:

    Prevent many students from answering surveys about their mental health, making it harder to identify students who need mental health support and intervention
    Give a vocal minority of parents disproportionate say over students’ education
    Pave the way for book banning and censorship of important aspects of our history

In the committee markup of H.R. 5, House Republicans voted against 25+ amendments that would help students succeed, such as:

    Establishing a parent coordinator at every elementary and secondary school
    Preventing censorship when teaching about the Holocaust and Native American, Black, Latino, AAPI, LGBTQ+ and women’s history
    Preventing politicians from banning books