Rep. Owens’ CHARLIE Act Passes Out of Committee

WASHINGTON, D.C. —  Vice Chairman of the House Education and Workforce Committee Rep. Burgess Owens’ (UT-04) Civics and History Advancement to Restore Learning, Integrity, and Education Act, H.R. 8705, or the CHARLIE Act, was successfully passed by the House Education and Workforce Committee.

The CHARLIE Act amends Section 2231 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to prohibit any funds available through the American History and Civics Education program from being used to promote “discriminatory equity ideology” or “gender ideology,” as defined by Executive Orders 14190 and 14168 signed by President Trump.

Currently, American students are woefully ignorant of basic civics and history. A 2024 survey of over 3,000 undergraduates conducted by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni and College Pulse found that:

• 40% of students believe that Senators serve four-year terms

• 75% of students did not know that the Constitution does not specify the number of justices on the Supreme Court

• 51% of the students surveyed believe the Constitution was written in 1776

In April 2021, the Biden administration sought to push their radical ideologies through this program funded by taxpayers. They published proposed grant priorities for the program that explicitly cited the debunked New York Times’ 1619 Project and anti-racism activist Ibram X. Kendi as their inspiration. Their proposal called for grants to create “learning experiences that validate and reflect the diversity, identities, histories, contributions, and experiences of all students.”

After this proposal, every Republican member of the Education Committee, including Rep. Owens, joined a letter with then Ranking Member Virginia Foxx (NC-05) calling on then Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona to remove their priorities to promote Critical Race Theory and their advocacy of racist and divisive ideology. Instead of stopping their partisan efforts, the Department and Administration returned with more subtle tactics and still prioritized grants for programs promoting DEI instruction over traditional civics instruction.

“As our nation celebrates the 250th anniversary of our independence, it’s more important now that our children understand the history of our great nation and the principles that founded it. They should be going to school to get educated, not indoctrinated. Thomas Jefferson understood that our nation could never be ignorant and free. At a time when political violence is on the rise, we should be strengthening shared values and national unity. The CHARLIE Act ensures that taxpayer dollars Congress set aside to educate the next generation about the incredible inheritance our Founders provided are free from the radical ideological spin the left sought to champion.”

Rep. Burgess Owens

“H.R. 8705, Civics and History Advancement to Restore Learning, Integrity, and Education Act, introduced by Rep. Burgess Owens, ensures that the American History and Civics program stays true to its purpose—educating students about America’s rich civic inheritance, the importance of our Founding, and the value of respectful civil dialogue through the free exchange of ideas. The Biden-Harris administration attempted to radicalize this bipartisan program. Today’s bill sends a clear message that it was wrong—children should be educated in civics, not indoctrinated.”

Chairman Walberg

What the CHARLIE Act Does

• Prohibits Radical Indoctrination: Bars American History and Civics funds from being used for “discriminatory equity ideology” or “gender ideology,” as defined by President Trump’s executive orders on ending radical indoctrination in K–12 schooling.
• Ends Preferential Grant Awards: Prohibits the Secretary of Education from giving grant priority on the basis of race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or immigration status — ensuring civics funding goes to the best programs, not the most politically favored ones.

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