Democrats in the House of Representatives voted down a bill that would strip federal funding from segregated diversity trainings and schools that teach concepts associated with Critical Race Theory (CRT).
The “Say No to Indoctrination Act” was introduced by Republican Utah Rep. Burgess Owens on Tuesday. It would prohibit the federal government from funding trainings in schools and the government that “separate individuals based on race, color, or national origin; assign characteristics or assumptions to individuals based on race, color, or national origin; or state or imply that the United States is an inherently racist country.”
The bill was tabled in a 201-217 vote via a motion to advance the previous question.
“I grew up in the deep South during the days of the K.K.K., Jim Crow, and segregation. I felt the pain of racism and seen and experienced firsthand when people act unjustly towards others due to the color of their skin. Yes, it still happens today when individuals choose hate,” Owens said in an impassioned floor speech in favor of his amendment.
“The Critical Race Theorists believe we are defined solely by our skin color. They believe that America’s institutions preserves white supremacy. Some believe our nation is hopelessly racist. To try to make this divisive theory understandable, they put people in groups like race, color, and national origin. In doing so, students are taught to judge others based on their appearance. In the 1960’s, this was called pure racism,” he continued.
In response, Democratic Massachusetts Rep. Jim McGovern entered an article from the left-wing site Media Matters into the congressional record.
“Republicans and their friends in the media need a new scare tactic because they don’t want to talk about the economy or how we crushed the virus. We are not going to debate on whether racism exists in America because it does. And we are not going to debate whether we should teach our kids racism is wrong, we should,” McGovern claimed. (RELATED: ‘Define Critical Race Theory’: Far-Left Activists Quickly Shift Goalposts As Parents Nationwide Rebel)
“By voting to block consideration of Rep. Burgess Owens’ ‘Say No to Indoctrination Act,’ House Democrats have signaled that American taxpayers should pick up the tab to fund a divisive, demeaning, and racist curriculum in our schools—and even our military. Instead of fueling more hatred and division, Democrats and all Americans must reject critical race theory, because state-sponsored racism is simply wrong,” House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy told the Daily Caller.