Americans have defended one core principle: the government does not get to decide what we are allowed to read.

H.R. 7661 threatens that principle. By tying federal education funding to restrictions on certain books and educational materials, this bill pressures schools to remove titles that discuss identity, history, and lived experiences that some politicians find controversial. When Washington uses funding as leverage to shape what is on library shelves, that is federal regulation of ideas.

This is bigger than one category of books. It is about whether the federal government can use its power to narrow the range of stories and perspectives available to students of all identities and backgrounds. It is about whether educators and school librarians will feel forced to self-censor to protect their budgets. And it is about whether young people will grow up in classrooms shaped by political fear instead of free expression.

Reading builds empathy, critical thinking, and civic understanding. Once the government begins deciding which viewpoints are acceptable, every reader’s freedom is at risk.

Legal precedents such as the Miller Test and state-level obscenity laws already ensure that there are no inappropriate books on school shelves. This legislation will be used to ban a wide range of books, as we've already seen in other states.

If you believe that Americans should choose their own books, that families and communities should guide education without federal coercion, and that freedom of expression must be protected, add your name today. Please join us and stand up for the right to read.