GOP sets vote on 'parents rights' in clash over schools
WJXT
WASHINGTON House Republicans will press forward Friday with a midterm campaign promise by voting on legislation to give parents greater say in what is taught in public schools, even as critics decry the parents' rights bill as a burdensome proposal that would fuel a far-right movement that has resulted in book bans, rewrites of history curricula and raucous school board meetings across the country.
Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has made the bill labeled the Parents' Bill of Rights Act a top priority during the early weeks of his tenure atop the House. It will be an early test of unity for the chamber's 222 Republicans, who have a thin majority.
Even as House Republicans returned this week from a retreat where they insisted they are unified, lawmakers have proposed a score of potential changes to the bill, adding a degree of uncertainty to Friday's vote.
It showed how the adoption of an open amendment process in the House a concession McCarthy made to win hardline conservatives' support for his speakership holds the potential to send legislation down unpredictable twists and turns. House Freedom Caucus members attempted to add amendments to the bill that amounted to a far-reaching dream list: a call to abolish the Department of Education, a requirement that schools report transgender athletes who participate in womens sports and an endorsement of vouchers that would send public funds to private schools.
