US House Education & Workforce Team

When the House Republican Steering Committee selected Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI) as the chairman of the House Committee on Education & Workforce for the 119th Congress back in December I was encouraged. Rep. Walberg stated, “We have significant work ahead of us, from enshrining protections for parents to continuing to protect Jewish students on college campuses to rights providing more opportunity & flexibility to American workers. Freedom, opportunity & fairness will guide our work as we deliver results for America. Let’s get to work!” Then yesterday I heard that in the midst of the economy chaos House Republicans advanced H.R. 2616 & H.R. 2617 that will take power away from local schools & place teachers into a position where they cannot acknowledge the existence of LGBTQ America citizens & must ‘out’ vulnerable students. Laurel Powell, HRC Communications Director concluded, “Instead of putting our dangerous President in check & tackling the American economy’s freefall, House Republicans showed where their priorities lie - giving airtime to junk science & trying to pass more anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. Forcing teachers to ‘out’ trans youth rather than supporting them in coming out to their families & demanding that schools ignore the trans students who sit in their classrooms is a craven attempt to distract people from economic disaster by vilifying children. Even as they fire people whose jobs were to make sure schools have the resources they need, the Trump administration & their allies in Congress continue to attack vulnerable young people to score points with the far right.”

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