Lankford, King and Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Bolster Civics Education
WASHINGTON, DC — US Senators James Lankford (R-OK), Angus King (I-ME) and their colleagues recently introduced bipartisan legislation to bolster civics education resources for school children across the United States. Introduced to mark Constitution Day, the Constitution education Is Valuable InCommunity Schools(CIVICS) Act would require higher education federal grant recipients to include Constitution education to be eligible for continued funding. The bill recognizes the importance of good governance, democratic values, and the importance of the Constitution to basic civic literacy.
“The Constitution isn’t just paper and ink. The soul of our nation rests in what our Constitution represents: the rule of law, personal responsibility without government coercion, protection of humanity, and a limited federal government,” said Lankford. “We must continue to safeguard those values and defend the Constitution’s carefully crafted guarantees of our freedoms and rights. Our children will only live our American values if we intentionally commit to pass down our Constitutional values to the next generation.”
“Good civics education creates good citizens. The U.S. Constitution is the blueprint for democracy and freedom, and its survival relies on each generation understanding our history and the values Americans have held sacred since our founding,” said King. “Our democratic system of governance is an anomaly in world history, and if we truly want a government of, by, and for the people, we must make sure people have the perspective and knowledge required to do their part in protecting it. I hope this bipartisan legislation allows young Americans to better understand and engage with America’s foundational principles.”
Lankford and King were joined by Senators Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) in introducing the legislation.
Background
Constitution Day was established in 1952 and Congress expanded recognition in 2004, requiring public schools and federal agencies to teach the Constitution and civics lessons. The American History and Civics Education program was established under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended, and created grants for institutions of higher learning and other organizations to develop evidence-based approaches to improve the quality of American government, history, and civics. However, these entities are not required to include educational programs regarding the Constitution or Bill of Rights. Under the CIVICS Act, the institutions that receive these grants would be required to develop programming that teaches the Constitution.
###