Democrats in the newly Republican Virginia General Assembly sat silently when Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) said parents “have a fundamental right … to make decisions with regard to your child’s upbringing, education and care.”

Youngkin, inaugurated Saturday, delivered his first address to a joint session of the Virginia legislature Monday outlining goals for the Commonwealth as he begins his term in office.

Speaking about education and parental involvement in their child’s upbringing, the Virginia Republican said, “My message to parents is this, you have a fundamental right, enshrined in law by this General Assembly, to make decisions with regard to your child’s upbringing, education and care. And we will protect and reassert that right.”

Watch:

While Republican members of the assembly stood and applauded, Democrats sat in their seats and remained silent.

Youngkin also said that “unelected political appointees lowered standards, which inevitably led to a decline in student performance.”

Virginia Democrats’ eight-year control of the Governor’s mansion in Richmond has given them the power to craft a government-centric power structure forcing parents out of the loop that backfired in 2021 with the unexpected win of Youngkin.

Breccan F. Thies is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow him on Twitter @BreccanFThies.