Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) today introduced the Empowering Local Curriculum Act, a bill to ensure that the receipt of federal education funds does not require the teaching of critical race theory. Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) joined as a co-sponsor.
“Critical race theory undermines our founding principles, institutions, social mobility, and history itself – and schools should not be forced to teach it,” said Sen. Lee.“This bill will ensure that with the receipt of federal funds, states and local educators will not have to.”
Specifically, the bill would amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to clarify that nothing in those Acts require the use, teaching, promotion, or recommendation of any academic discipline, program, or activity that holds anti-American or racist principles.
Read Sen. Lee’s op-ed on critical race theory here. Read Sen. Lee’s comment urging the Department of Education to reject critical race theory here.
The full text of the bill can be found here.
