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April 14, 2022

Dear Members of Congress,

Independent Women’s Voice, which fights to enhance people’s freedom, opportunities and well-being, supports legislation revoking the congressional charter for the National Education Association (NEA), the largest teachers union in the country.

A federal charter, sometimes known as a congressional charter, recognizes an organization’s authority and purpose. The NEA is a politically-motivated labor union with a budget of over $370 million that gives the vast majority (at least 94%) of its political dollars to left-wing candidates and causes. It should come as no surprise, then, that the policies adopted by this partisan organization run counter to the views of large shares of the American public, particularly parents of school-aged children. Thus, the NEA does not belong on the list of federal charters. 

The NEA continues to actively push for a nationwide implementation of Critical Race Theory (CRT) in the classroom. Last year, the NEA approved a resolution to assemble a staff to “research” organizations that oppose CRT and has even supported calling parents who dare to voice their concerns potential “domestic terrorists.” Also of concern: the union refuses to commit to student learning. Remarkably,  the NEA voted in 2019 against re-dedicating “itself to the pursuit of increased student learning in every public school in America by putting a renewed emphasis on quality education.” 

The NEA has also demanded that schools remain closed, leading to learning loss and other harms, and the continued universal masking of schoolchildren despite a lack of evidence that mandatory masking in schools protects others. Mandatory masking is also unfair to kids, and at this point, purely political.

We cannot sit idly by while our students are mistreated. We thank Rep. Scott Fitzgerald for his leadership on this important issue and urge all Members of Congress to support this proposed legislation if it comes to the floor for a vote. 

Respectfully,

Hadley Heath Manning
Director of Policy
Independent Women’s Voice