Virginia Foxx: “I thank my colleague for yielding. Mr. Speaker, the Biden Department of Education shares a distinct and familiar trait…”

“I thank my colleague for yielding. Mr. Speaker, the Biden Department of Education shares a distinct and familiar trait with every government agency in Washington right now: It has a habit of making crackpot decisions. One such decision made by the Department recently was to block funding for hunting and archery education under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, ESEA. Nobody at the Department of Education can truly believe Congress sought to block this funding, yet they refuse to interpret the law consistent with congressional intent. The idea that schools should offer valuable educational enrichment activities like teaching hunting, archery, and culinary skills have never been a partisan issue. Mr. Speaker, that same magnitude of support should be on display when the House passes the bipartisan Protecting Hunting Heritage and Education Act. This legislation clarifies that the prohibition on the use of ESEA funds for certain weapons does not apply to learning in activities like archery, hunting, other shooting sports, or culinary arts. It is a simple bill that would safeguard learning opportunities for millions of American students every year, especially those who live in rural areas across our country. Hunting and archery programs teach America's schoolchildren self- esteem, responsibility, and, ultimately, how to use these recreational tools safely. The National Archery in Schools Program has served over 18 million students since 2002. Mr.…”