US lawmakers pass ‘bill of rights’ to empower parents

WASHINGTON: The Republican-led US House of Representatives passed a bill on Friday pressing greater parental choice in schools, as lawmakers pursue a divisive “culture war” issue they hope will be an election winner.

The “Parents Bill of Rights” passed in a roughly party-line vote, although five Republican dissenters joined the Democrats in rejecting a measure they have dubbed the “Politics over Parents Act.” “In America, education is the great equalizer,” said Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. The bill looks certain to sink without a trace in the Democratic-controlled Senate, but Republicans will use their votes to campaign on an issue that has been thrust to the center of the 2024 presidential election.