Committee Republicans Pass Unfunded Mandates, Bills to Make School Meals Less Healthy, and Weaken Our International Relations
WASHINGTON – Today, Committee Republicans advanced four education bills and one nutrition bill that would further burden the U.S. Department of Education even as they seek to dismantle the Department and endanger the future of public education.
“[T]he proposals we are considering today will not actually improve students’ education and outcomes. We are considering a series of bills that only add complexity and confusion and, frankly, are solutions in search of a problem,” said Ranking Member Scott.
H.R. 1048, the Defending Education Transparency and Ending Rogue Regimes Engaging in Nefarious Transactions (DETERRENT) Act, targets certain countries and their researchers under the guise of safeguarding research security. The bill takes a discriminatory approach and threatens valuable international collaborations that advance crucial fields like health and technology.
H.R. 649, the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, proposes allowing whole milk to be served in school lunches, disregarding evidence-based nutritional standards based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs). It prioritizes industry lobby interests over science and undermines efforts to ensure that school meals support children's health and well-being.
H.R. 1069, the Promoting Responsible Oversight to Eliminate Communist Teachings for Our Kids (PROTECT) Act, imposes unnecessary restrictions on public schools receiving resources from China. This bill distracts from real issues in K-12 schools and unnecessarily targets global partnerships in education.
H.R. 1005, the Combating the Lies of Authoritarians in School Systems (CLASS) Act, outlines new reporting requirements for schools without providing necessary funding to support the additional effort. The bill imposes administrative burdens without addressing critical issues like teacher shortages or achievement gaps.
H.R. 1049, the Transparency in Reporting of Adversarial Contributions to Education (TRACE) Act, requires schools to allow parents access to materials purchased from foreign sources. It also imposes steep funding penalties for noncompliance. Thus, it introduces complex compliance requirements that divert attention from actual educational improvements.
Read Ranking Member Scott’s opening statement here.
Read Democratic amendments and letters of opposition to H.R. 1048, H.R. 649, H.R. 1069, H.R. 1005, and H.R. 1049 here.
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