Protect the First Amendment — Reject Federal Book Censorship

I am writing to demand that you reject any effort to censor books or allow the federal government to dictate what Americans are allowed to read. Attempts to ban books through legislation such as H.R. 7661 and S. 4925 are an attack on free speech, parental rights, and the First Amendment. No member of Congress has the right to decide what books my family can read. That decision belongs to me—not politicians. Public and school libraries exist to serve entire communities. They provide books that reflect different cultures, viewpoints, histories, and life experiences. No one is forced to check out a particular book. If I believe a title is not appropriate for my family, I simply choose another. That is what parental responsibility looks like. It is not the government’s job to make that decision for every family in America. Book bans do not protect children—they restrict knowledge. The American Library Association has documented thousands of attempts to remove books from libraries in recent years, with many targeting works about history, race, LGBTQ+ people, and other diverse perspectives. Censorship has never strengthened a democracy. An informed, educated public does. Parents have the right to guide their own children’s reading. They do not have the right to decide what every other family can read, and Congress certainly does not have that authority. I urge you to oppose any legislation that promotes censorship or threatens access to books in our schools and libraries. Defend the Constitution. Defend the First Amendment. Trust parents—not politicians—to make reading choices for their own families. Let us read!