1. United States
2. Texas
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you in the strongest possible terms to oppose H.R. 7661. The freedom to read is one of the cornerstones of a free society. Americans do not preserve liberty by restricting access to ideas, threatening schools with funding cuts, or allowing politicians in Washington to decide which books students may encounter. H.R. 7661 moves our nation in the wrong direction and threatens a fundamental right that generations of Americans have fought to protect. This legislation would use the power of the federal government to pressure schools into removing or restricting educational materials in order to avoid financial penalties. That is not education—it is intimidation. It encourages self-censorship, limits intellectual freedom, and creates a chilling effect on educators, librarians, and school districts across the country. Students deserve access to a broad range of literature, history, and perspectives. Reading widely helps young people develop critical thinking skills, empathy, and the ability to engage thoughtfully with a complex world. Parents should remain empowered to make decisions for their own children, but no family should have the power to restrict what every other student is allowed to read. Throughout our nation’s history, attempts to ban books and suppress ideas have never strengthened democracy. They have weakened it. The answer to ideas we disagree with is not censorship—it is education, discussion, and the freedom to think for ourselves. America’s libraries and classrooms should be places of learning, discovery, and opportunity, not battlegrounds where books are removed because they make some people uncomfortable. The right to read, learn, and explore different viewpoints is essential to maintaining a free and informed citizenry. I urge you to stand up for students, educators, librarians, and families by opposing H.R. 7661. Protect intellectual freedom. Protect our schools. Most importantly, protect every American’s right to read. Thank you for your time and consideration.