Top House Republicans Investigate COVID Relief Dollars Funding Critical Race Theory Programs
Initiate investigation into the Department of Education allowing COVID relief funds to be used to indoctrinate America’s children in leftist ideology
WASHINGTON —Today, House Committee on Oversight and Reform Ranking Member James Comer (R-Ky.), Committee on Education and Labor Ranking Member Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.), along with Republicans from both panels, are launching an investigation into the Department of Education reportedly allowing Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and related COVID relief funds to pay for racially biased and other leftist programs. In letters to Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, Inspector General Sandra Bruce, and top education officials in New York, Illinois, and California, the Republican lawmakers are seeking information about how funds are being spent to ensure taxpayer dollars are not funding radical curricula to indoctrinate America’s students.
“Committees on Oversight and Reform and Education and Labor Republicans are investigating the use of COVID-19 relief dollars appropriated for virus mitigation and the safe reopening of schools. Based on recent reports, the Department of Education is allowing Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act and related COVID relief funds to pay for racially biased and other progressive leftist programs,” wrote the Republican lawmakers. “Specifically, Congress created the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) fund to enable schools to safely reopen and address learning loss caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Those taxpayer dollars, however, are being used to indoctrinate children in core tenets of leftist ideology.”
Recently, Congressional Democrats unnecessarily rushed more than $120 billion in new ESSER funding. Congress previously set aside $13.2 billion in the CARES Act and $54.3 billion in the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act for the ESSER Fund. Reports indicate billions of allocated taxpayer dollars are now being used by State Democrat leaders to push left leaning ideologies in public schools rather than to fix the significant academic gaps caused by school closures.
“The learning loss caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has been a global disaster. During the 2020-2021 school year, passing math rates declined by 14.2 percent on average overall,” continued the Republican lawmakers. “Overwhelmingly, school shutdowns occurred in states and localities led by Democrats who chose to keep schools closed much longer than was necessary, often at the behest of teachers unions. Instead of using ESSER funds to address these dramatic learning losses, some states are spending taxpayer dollars to push progressive left causes. New York used part of the $9 billion it received to provide staff development on ‘culturally responsive sustaining instruction’ and ‘privilege’ and to recognize ‘equity warriors.’ At least ten other state plans included proposals to use the ESSER funds to implement racially biased curriculum and programs based on Critical Race Theory.”
The letters can be found here: