{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.scott.senate.gov/media-center/press-releases/senator-tim-scott-supports-parents-voices-in-education/", "Senator Tim Scott Supports Parents\u2019 Voices in Education", "2021-10-29", "2021", "2021-10", "Republican", "Senate", "SC", "Tim Scott", "S001184", "www.scott.senate.gov", "timscott", "https://www.scott.senate.gov/media-center/press-releases/jsf/jet-engine:press-list", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 This week, U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.) joined a resolution led by Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee Ranking Member Richard Burr (R-N.C.), and Senator Rick Scott (R-Fla.), supporting parents\u2019 rights to be fully and actively involved in the education of their children. Recently, President Joe Biden and his administration have politicized and weaponized the Justice Department, threatening to use federal law enforcement resources to intimidate and silence parents who speak out to protect their children\u2019s education from far-left influences. Biden\u2019s dangerous tactics are a clear violation on parents\u2019 rights of free speech.\n\nThe resolution is also cosponsored by Senators John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), John Kennedy (R-La.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), James Risch (R-Idaho), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.).\n\n\u201cWashington Democrats want to tell Americans how their money should be spent, how their businesses should be run, and now, how their children should be educated,\u201d said Senator Tim Scott. \u201cUnfortunately, we\u2019ve already seen how dangerous it can be to lock parents out of that conversation. Last year\u2019s school closures were the prime example, resulting in heartbreaking learning loss and mental health issues for our nation\u2019s youth. President Biden and the Democrats must start putting our children first, and that means giving their parents\u2014those who know best\u2014a voice in how their kids are educated. The education of future generations of Americans is simply too important to use for political gain.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe Democrats\u2019 war on parents is disgusting,\u201d said Senator Rick Scott. \u201cAs a proud father of two, and grandfather to seven, it makes me furious to hear people say that the government knows better than a mom or dad when it comes to the education of their child. That\u2019s why today I am proud to have Leader McConnell, Ranking Member Burr and nearly thirty other Republican senators join me in introducing a simple resolution supporting parents\u2019 rights to be engaged and have a say in their child\u2019s education. It\u2019s not controversial or radical to say that we support the right of parents to be the leading voices in the education of their children. And it\u2019s not controversial or radical to expect teachers, schools and school districts to regularly engage parents in constructive and open dialogue about school policies, curriculum, and instructional materials \u2013 and to LISTEN to their feedback. Moms and dads know what is best for their children, and it is a great thing when they get involved. We won\u2019t let the Democrats use their radical, socialist agenda to drive parents out of education and replace them with the failed ideas of big government.\u201d\n\n\u201cIn the middle of a border crisis and a national surge in homicides, the Attorney General seems to think the DOJ\u2019s top priority should be intimidating parents out of their free speech rights,\u201d said Leader McConnell. \u201cViolence and threats are already crimes. If Democrats want fewer concerned citizens speaking up, the solution is to stop trying to indoctrinate children on the taxpayers\u2019 dime. Holding elected officials accountable for their failures isn\u2019t intimidation, it\u2019s democracy.\u201d\n\n\u201cWashington bureaucrats and labor unions do not know better than parents on what\u2019s best for their children, especially when it comes to their education,\u201d said Ranking Member Burr. \u201cOur nation\u2019s school systems encourage constructive debate, but the Biden Administration is threatening this long-held model by restricting parental free speech at public school board meetings. I\u2019m proud to work with my colleagues on this critical resolution to support parents across the nation advocate for what\u2019s best for their children.\u201d\n\nBackground:\n\nSenator Scott is leading efforts to keep parents at the forefront of children\u2019s education.\n\nIn September, he held a virtual parent town hall to hear from parents and address their top concerns as the new school year began.\n\nThis month, he joined his colleagues in sending a letter to Attorney General Garland, demanding clarification on the DOJ\u2019s recent memo restricting parents from expressing concerns about their children\u2019s education.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:24:51Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.scott.senate.gov/media-center/press-releases/senator-tim-scott-supports-parents-voices-in-education/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.002433942630887, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}