PROTECTING HUNTING HERITAGE AND EDUCATION ACT

On 2023-09-26, Representative Rick W. Allen (R-GA-12) delivered a floor speech titled "PROTECTING HUNTING HERITAGE AND EDUCATION ACT" in the House. The speech addressed gun policy and also covered the environment, education. It referenced legislation: HR5110.

PROTECTING HUNTING HERITAGE AND EDUCATION ACT

Congressional Record, Volume 169 Issue 156 (Tuesday, September 26, 2023) [Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 156 (Tuesday, September 26, 2023)] [House] [Pages H4471-H4475] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] PROTECTING HUNTING HERITAGE AND EDUCATION ACT Mr. GROTHMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5110) to amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to clarify that the prohibition on the use of Federal education funds for certain weapons does not apply to the use of such weapons for training in archery, hunting, or other shooting sports, as amended. The Clerk read the title of the bill. The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 5110 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Protecting Hunting Heritage and Education Act''. SEC. 2. CLARIFICATION OF PROHIBITION ON USE OF FEDERAL EDUCATION FUNDS FOR CERTAIN WEAPONS AND RELATED TRAINING. Section 8526(7) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7906(7)) is amended by inserting ``, except that this paragraph shall not apply to the use of funds under [[Page H4472]] this Act for activities carried out under programs authorized by this Act that are otherwise permissible under such programs and that provide students with educational instruction or educational enrichment activities, such as archery, hunting, other shooting sports, or culinary arts'' before the period at the end. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Grothman) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Takano) each will control 20 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Wisconsin. General Leave Mr. GROTHMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 5110, as amended. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Wisconsin? There was no objection. Mr. GROTHMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today in strong support of the Protecting Hunting Heritage and Education Act, H.R. 5110. Last year, Congress passed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. While most Republicans weren't in favor of its provisions, the few that eventually voted for the bill voted with the assumption that the Biden administration would not try to misconstrue the language to end the vital hunter and archery classes in our K-12 schools. Now, due to the overly antigun Department of Education, the law is being used to pressure schools rather than enhance their security. Republican negotiators feel frustrated by the Department's actions. Democrats feel let down by the Department. Above all, the American people feel wronged by the Department and scared that at a Federal level it would take such actions. This is because the Department has taken the funding ban for the provision of or training in the use of a dangerous weapon and misinterpreted it as a funding ban on archery, shooting, and hunter safety programs--some even speculate culinary programs. How do I know that this anger is widespread? Look no further than the commentary from Democrats over the past few weeks. Without explicitly naming names, Democrats have called the administration overly ambitious, simply mistaken, and with a blatant disregard for the law. Too many people on the other side of the aisle are looking for any pretext to prevent American citizens from using firearms, even if the purpose is to increase safety. Archery and hunting safety programs are not dangerous. They instill core values in schoolchildren--values like responsibility, patience, and discipline. In fact, our society could use more of these values and more of these programs. Moreover, education programs such as hunting and archery foster a sense of connection and belonging among classmates. They are a win-win for our schools and communities. In Wisconsin alone, we have 272 schools offering archery programs, 37 of which are located in my district. What we have here is yet another example of Federal bureaucrats who are out of touch with the American people. I know my constituents back home support these programs, and so do I. Therefore, I urge passage of H.R. 5110, and I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I supported the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act when it came to the House last year, and I am glad it was indeed a bipartisan bill. It was passed in response to the horrific shootings that occurred in Uvalde, Texas, and in Buffalo, New York. However, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act was negotiated in a bipartisan manner in the Senate and then it came over to the House where we voted on it with no changes and sent it to the President for his signature. In attempting to make clear that Title IV funds provided under the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act through the ESEA could not be used to arm teachers or school staff, Senate negotiators used language stating that no funds could be used to provide to any person a dangerous weapon or training in the use of a dangerous weapon. Now, the term ``dangerous weapon'' is broadly defined. So in using this language, Senate negotiators inadvertently, I believe, precluded the use of funds by students for certain activities in school and extracurricular programs that were previously permitted prior to the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. The gentleman from Wisconsin has made the claim that it is the Department of Education that is misinterpreting the law. They, in fact, are following the law to the very letter. If we want to place some scrutiny, it should be on the Senate, which I believe drafted this language imprecisely which resulted in the need for this technical fix. H.R. 5110 is an attempt to fix that language to permit the use of such items for students in school and extracurricular activities, and I am glad that we were able to work in a bipartisan manner once again to agree on the language that we are voting on today. As this issue has come to light, many people have targeted the Department of Education as the problem, stating that the Department has misinterpreted congressional intent in applying the law. That is absolutely incorrect. The Department has been following the law as written and passed by Congress and signed by the President. Of course, we all remember that the President takes an oath to faithfully execute the laws of our country. Today's legislation makes clear that we are not trying to preclude the use of items by students in the pursuit of educational and extracurricular activities, and the list in the example list in the legislative text is not exhaustive. That said, the language would preclude ESEA funding from being used to arm teachers or school staff or train teachers or school staff in the use of dangerous weapons remains intact. Mr. Speaker, I support H.R. 5110, the Protecting Hunting Heritage and Education Act and urge my colleagues to do the same. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. GROTHMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx). Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for yielding. Mr. Speaker, the Biden Department of Education shares a distinct and familiar trait with every government agency in Washington right now: It has a habit of making crackpot decisions. One such decision made by the Department recently was to block funding for hunting and archery education under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, ESEA. Nobody at the Department of Education can truly believe Congress sought to block this funding, yet they refuse to interpret the law consistent with congressional intent. The idea that schools should offer valuable educational enrichment activities like teaching hunting, archery, and culinary skills have never been a partisan issue. Mr. Speaker, that same magnitude of support should be on display when the House passes the bipartisan Protecting Hunting Heritage and Education Act. This legislation clarifies that the prohibition on the use of ESEA funds for certain weapons does not apply to learning in activities like archery, hunting, other shooting sports, or culinary arts. It is a simple bill that would safeguard learning opportunities for millions of American students every year, especially those who live in rural areas across our country. Hunting and archery programs teach America's schoolchildren self- esteem, responsibility, and, ultimately, how to use these recreational tools safely. The National Archery in Schools Program has served over 18 million students since 2002. Mr. Speaker, there is no logical reason why anyone should oppose this legislation because there is no logical argument to be made in doing so. It is just that simple. I am proud to support the bipartisan Protecting Hunting Heritage and Education Act. I look forward to its swift passage in the House. Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I just remind the chairwoman, the gentlewoman from North Carolina, that it was Congress that sent language in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act which proscribed the ability for these activities to occur in our schools, and to characterize faithfully executing the laws of our country as ``crackpot'' I think is quite off base. [[Page H4473]] The President and his administration support this technical fix that is being sought, and I support this technical fix. Congress needs to take care that we send language that reflects our intent. I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. Hoyle). Ms. HOYLE of Oregon. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from California for yielding time. I rise in strong support of the Protecting Hunting Heritage and Education Act, which passed unanimously out of the Education and Workfor

Referenced legislation: HR5110, HR5110