1. United States
2. Ga.
3. Letter

Vote no on HR 7661 when it comes to the House floor. This nationwide book ban is a disgrace that never should have passed committee. Libraries are not committing crimes. Librarians and educators are professionals who understand child development and select age-appropriate materials. HR 7661 treats kindergarteners and high school seniors identically, ignoring developmental needs and undermining the expertise of the people who work with our children every day. The bill uses vague "sexually explicit materials" language that bypasses the Miller Test, the 1973 Supreme Court standard for obscenity, allowing arbitrary enforcement while explicitly exempting religious texts. This is federal overreach disguised as protecting children. Congress has no business dictating school curriculum from a 36-year-old encyclopedia and homeschool curriculum lists. The committee rejected amendments that would have allowed teaching about sexual abuse, child trafficking, and the sexual exploitation of Black women throughout American history. If this bill truly protected children, those amendments would have passed. HR 7661 only applies to public schools, making this a voucher scheme to redirect taxpayer money to wealthy families. The 2025 Mahmoud v. Taylor ruling already gives parents opt-out rights. This bill removes individual parental choice and replaces it with blanket censorship. Vote no.