Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) introduced legislation Monday to promote patriotism and fight back against critical race theory in America’s schools.
Hawley introduced the Love America Act, a bill that would require all schools that receive federal funding to ensure students can read and recite America’s founding documents. The Love America Act would also prohibit funding from schools that teach those documents came from white supremacy or racism.
Hawley said in a statement:
Over the past year, Americans have watched stunned as a radical ideology spread through our country’s elite institutions—one that teaches America is an irredeemably racist nation founded by white supremacists. Now it has found its way into our children’s schools. We cannot afford for our children to lose faith in the noble ideals this country was founded on. We have to make sure that our children understand what makes this country great, the ideals of hope and promise our Founding Fathers fought for, and the love of country that unites us all.
Hawley’s Love America Act would require students to read the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and the Pledge of Allegiance, and have students recite portions of these texts.
Hawley told Fox News’ Tucker Carlson last week that the country needs to fight back against the critical race theory “lies.” He said:
That’s not true. This is a great nation. We’re a nation of liberators. It’s time to reclaim that and to teach our children who we are, who they are, and that’s why my bill would say, ‘Listen: If a school district gets federal money, you’ve got to teach the basic truth about the country, [such as] the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Declaration, [and] the Pledge of Allegiance. These are the things, the documents, that express the ideals that unite us as Americans.
He said, “You’ve got to replace the lies with the truth, and that’s what I’m trying to do.”
Sean Moran is a congressional reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter @SeanMoran3.