Parental Rights Amendment Introduced

HSLDA
VERBATIM POST

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE // June 5,2012 // Washington, D.C. – A proposed amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would preserve the longstanding traditional right of parents to direct the upbringing and education of their children was introduced today in the U.S. Congress.

Lead sponsor Trent Franks (R-AZ) was joined by 32 cosponsors in introducing the Amendment in the House. The Senate version, led by Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC), had 9 cosponsors at its introduction.

“We must protect the liberty of parents to direct the upbringing and education of their children,” Senator DeMint said. “Unfortunately, parental rights are under attack, and a safeguard like this amendment is necessary. Neither the federal government nor international law should micromanage how parents are able to raise their children. Parents are best equipped to decide how their children are raised and educated, not bureaucrats from Washington and the United Nations.”

Supporters anticipate a congressional hearing on the measure, given lead sponsor Trent Franks’ position as chairman of the Constitution Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee, to which the House version will be assigned.

"In my three decades of public service, I have consistently focused on protecting the right of parents to make decisions for their children,” Congressman Franks says. “Put simply, there are really only two options when it comes to who will determine the substance of a child's education: it will be either a bureaucrat who doesn’t know the child’s name, or a parent who would pour out their last drop of blood for the child.

"I intend to continue that fight in my role as Chairman of the Constitution Subcommittee, doing everything in my power to help advance the vital Parental Rights Amendment through Congress. Nothing is more important to America's future than making sure that the education of the hearts and minds of our children is securely in the purview of the parents who love and understand them most."

This marks the third straight session of Congress in which the PRA has been introduced, and support for the measure is growing. “The PRA had 141 cosponsors in the House during the last session of Congress, but we expect to see even more support this time around,” says Michael Farris, president of ParentalRights.org, which organizes grassroots efforts for the amendment.

“The Supreme Court has accurately said that parental rights are ‘perhaps the oldest of the fundamental liberty interests recognized by [the] Court,’ yet those rights now lack sufficient legal protection under the Constitution,” Farris continues. “Thanks to concerned citizens and engaged leaders in Congress, we look forward to correcting that problem through the adoption of this amendment.”