By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
On Monday, May 16, US Representatives Mo Brooks (R-Huntsville) and Bradley Byrne (R-Montrose) joined 37 other members of Congress in asking President Obama to back down from his demands that American schools allow students who claim to be transgender access to the restroom or locker room reflective of their gender identity. The President has threatened to withhold federal dollars from school systems who fail to comply with his demands.
Congressman Mo Brooks said in a statement, “As many of you have heard, the Obama Administration has now determined they know best on public education matters and issued a directive threatening legal action against public schools who refuse to allow students to use whichever bathroom they choose, regardless of gender. This browbeating of local schools by the Administration is a blatant attempt to push a political agenda and is downright absurd. Today, I joined with colleagues in demanding the President withdraw this poorly executed effort immediately. Folks, let’s let common sense prevail.”
Congressman Bradley Byrne said, “With all the serious issues going on in the world today, it is absurd that the Obama Administration is worried about where students use the bathroom. This is federal overreach at its worst. These are decisions that should be handled at the state and local level, not by federal bureaucrats in Washington. President Obama needs to stay out of our schools and stop with the political grandstanding. Instead, we should be focusing on serious issues like strengthening our military, taking care of our veterans, and helping bring Americans out of poverty. The members of Congress wrote in the letter to the President: “We are extremely concerned with the recent directive from your Administration threatening legal action against or denial of congressionally appropriated funds to local school districts that do not allow students to use their bathroom of choice regardless of their gender. We ask that you rescind your poorly executed threat to school districts across the country and reaffirm their right to govern themselves as they see fit within the bounds of the law.”
The Congress members continued, “To date, neither statute nor legal precedent has extended civil rights protections based on gender identity. Furthermore your actions threaten to infringe on the constitutional right of Congress to appropriate funds. We view this as an effort to implement your Administration’s political agenda outside the bounds of the law and against the will of the American people. We insist that you withdraw this legally unfounded threat immediately.”
Congressmen Robert Aderholt (R-Haleyville) and Gary Palmer (R-Hoover) were also signatories of the letter to the President.
Congressman Mo Brooks represents Alabama’s Fifth Congressional District. Congressman Bradley Byrne represents Alabama’s First Congressional District.
