Representatives Diana Harshbarger (R-TN-01) and Glenn Grothman (R-WI-06) introduced legislation to block President Joe Biden’s Department of Agriculture (USDA) from threatening to strip funding from the National School Lunch Program.
According to the lawmakers, the Biden administration is attempting to force school districts to allow students to use whichever bathroom or play various sports they prefer, not based on biological sex.
In order to ensure compliance, the lawmakers argue the USDA could strip money from the program that helps feed students, if the school district does not follow the rules.
“Punishing schools for failing to adopt radical transgender ideology is wrong. Ripping school lunches from low-income students because their schools disallow biological males to enter girl’s restrooms and compete in girl’s sports is nothing short of disgraceful. The Biden administration continues to abuse executive privilege to force Americans into compliance with an extreme agenda. Our bill protects students so they are not hungry at school,” Congresswoman Harshbarger said.
Leaders in states across the country have pushed back on the plan.
“This mandate from the administration is a way to strongarm schools into falling in line with the ‘woke’ left’s worldview and it is disgraceful. If a school, parent, student, or teacher believes that there are biological differences between males and females, too bad, because their federal funding may be cut off if they don’t obey this mandate. This is why you should never want new federal programs,” added Congressman Grothman (R-WI-06).
“Nevertheless, the Biden administration’s new rule opens the door to letting children go hungry if schools do not adhere to his extreme gender ideology. By passing the Stop WOKE Meals Act, we can eliminate this ridiculous choice schools may face and ensure our kids keep receiving the school meals they’ve been promised.”
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Cooper Moran is a reporter for The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Diana Harshbarger” by Representative Diana Harshbarger. Photo “Glenn Grothman” by Congressman Glenn Grothman. Background Photo “High School Cafeteria” by Nadia Eimandoust. CC BY-SA 4.0.