WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, released a statement following the disbanding of the National Parents and Families Engagement Council and its far-left, anti-school choice agenda. Last week, Cassidy and fellow U.S. Senators Mike Lee (R-UT), Tim Scott (R-SC), Richard Burr (R-NC), and Mitt Romney (R-UT), wrote a letter to the Department of Education Secretary Miguel Cardona sounding the alarm about the council’s hyper-partisan makeup.
“This administration cannot call something a ‘Parents and Families Engagement Council’ when it is full of partisan organization that do not represent the majority of parents,” said Dr. Cassidy. “The disbanding of this council is a major victory for parents.”
“I am pleased that the administration has disbanded its Families Engagement Council. Unfortunately, this council was heavily populated with progressives who failed to prioritize the most essential voice of all – parents. As I have continued to emphasize, parents, not activists, should drive the conversation regarding how their children are educated. I’m grateful to have worked alongside my colleagues to push back against the Department of Education’s efforts in this area,” said Senator Lee.
“Parents, teachers, and administrators all share responsibility for ensuring the highest quality education for our nation’s children,” said Senator Romney. “I hope The Department of Education continues to recognize the importance of this shared responsibility and finds productive ways to engage with parents because it’s parents—not Washington—who know what is best for their kids.”
America First Legal had filed a lawsuit against the Department of Education and Secretary Cardona for violating the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA). Specifically, for breaking the insurance of adequate public notice of a committee’s activities and that it is fairly balanced and free from inappropriate influence.
Read the joint notice of dismissal here.
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