U.S. Congress: Congressman Jamie Raskin and Senator Brian Schatz Introduce Resolutions Condemning Book Bans and Affirming the Right to Free Expression in Schools

Direct to the Full Text of the Resolution Introduced by Congressman Raskin
7 pages; PDF.

From PEN America:

With free expression and the freedom to read being undermined in America’s schools, Congressman Jamie Raskin today introduced a resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives condemning the spread of book bans in schools nationwide, as Senator Brian Schatz leads a companion resolution in the U.S. Senate. PEN America commends the lawmakers’ efforts, which reaff irm Congress’ commitment to upholding free expression in the classroom and beyond.

The resolutions, which commemorate Banned Books Week, acknowledge “the central role books play in democratic and civil discourse” and call attention to “the illegitimate processes being used to ban books in K-12 classrooms, universities, prisons, and libraries.” They rebuke the accelerating imposition of book bans that have prevented the teaching of critically acclaimed literature and unduly targeted books featuring lead characters from marginalized communities, in particular LGBTQ+ and Black Americans. These bans censor open inquiry and feed a climate of silencing among educators and the undermining of First Amendment rights for students.

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“The rights to free expression enshrined in the First Amendment do not end at the schoolhouse gate. Amid brazen trends of censorship targeting our nation’s classrooms, PEN America lauds Congressman Raskin’s and Senator Schatz’s resolutions, which are incisive reaffirmations of First Amendment principles.”

Learn More, Read the Complete Statement

More From the House Committee on Oversight and Reform:

“The wave of book bans that has swept across our country in recent years is a direct attack on First Amendment rights and should alarm every American who believes that freedom of expression is a fundamental pillar of our democracy,” said Chairman Raskin.  “The efforts to remove books from schools and public libraries simply because they introduce ideas about diversity or challenge students to think beyond their own lived experience is not only anti-democratic but also a hallmark of authoritarian regimes.  During this Banned Books Week, we must call attention to these threats to freedom of expression, reaffirm our commitment to protect First Amendment rights, and, most importantly, read banned books.”

The resolution is co-sponsored by Reps. Suzanne Bonamici, Jamaal Bowman, Veronica Escobar, Raúl Grijalva, Jared Huffman, Hank Johnson, Carolyn B. Maloney, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Mark Pocan, Rashida Tlaib, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, and Bonnie Watson Coleman.

The resolution is endorsed by several organizations including PEN America, American Library Association, American Federation of Teachers,Campaign for Our Shared Future, Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, EveryLibrary, Florida Freedom to Read Project, National Coalition Against Censorship, National Council of Teachers of English, National Education Association, National Book Foundation, Banned Books Week Coalition, Red Wine and Blue Education Fund, Protect Diversity, and Stand for Children.

Learn More, Read the Complete Release

Direct to the Full Text of the Resolution Introduced by Congressman Raskin
7 pages; PDF.

Filed under: Associations and Organizations, Libraries, News, Public Libraries