McCarthy, GOP introduce measure to protect 'parents' rights'

House Republicans pressed ahead Wednesday with one of the central planks of their midterm election campaign, introducing legislation to give parents more of a say in school curriculum.

“That’s what today is all about: It’s about every parent, mom and dad, but most importantly about the students in America,” Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said in introducing the bill at an event on Capitol Hill.

Reflecting the importance to the GOP agenda, the parents’ bill of rights is the first bill that McCarthy has formally announced as speaker. He was flanked at the event by dozens of parents and young children.

By turning ”parents rights” into a rallying cry, Republicans hope to harness the frustration with schools that reached a boiling point during the pandemic when educators grappled with masking requirements, closures and remote learning for children. Many states with Republican-controlled legislatures have already enacted similar measures.