US Senator Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee, says Americans need to “acknowledge a troubling reality” about the US this Independence Day.
“America is experiencing a crisis of confidence,” the Brentwood Republican said in a statement. “Only 38% of American adults say patriotism is important to them compared to 70% in 1998. A recently released poll found that only 39% of Americans were “extremely proud” to be Americans, the second lowest number on record. These trends should concern all Americans who care about our country and its future.”
The Conservative lawmaker said the reason for the drop is no mystery.
“In many schools, education has been replaced by the indoctrination and teaching of critical race theory and radical gender ideology has become widespread,” Blackburn said. “Nearly 6,000 public schools across the country prevent faculty and staff from notifying a child’s parents without the child’s permission if the student chooses to change gender.”
He said that instead of teaching civics the “traditional way,” many schools now teach “civic action,” which he described as “a woke alternative” that encourages students to participate in protests related to “certain left-wing causes “.
“Given the state of our education system, it should come as no surprise that only 25 percent of students meet the standard of ‘proficient’ on the civics assessment of the National Assessment of Educational Progress. There are countless reasons for which America serves as a beacon of freedom to nations around the world, but you can trace them all back to our core values. It is more important than ever that we educate our youth with these patriotic principles.”
The senator’s comments were not warmly received by some on social media.
“I am insulted by Blackburn’s comments,” commented a former teacher named Janice Boswell. “She needs to spend time in the classroom to learn what’s going on. I certainly never taught my students that it was okay to attack and deface our nation’s Capitol. I should research the educational history of this group of people who pretend to be -ho. patriotic”.
Hagerty in loans
A sharply divided Supreme Court last week effectively killed President Joe Biden’s $400 billion plan to cancel or reduce the federal student loan debt of millions of Americans. But the president said Friday that “this fight is not over” and is criticizing Republicans on the issue.
During a visit to Chattanooga last week as part of his statewide economic tour, U.S. Sen. Bill Hagerty said taxpayers who didn’t go to college shouldn’t be asked to bail out those who did
“I never dreamed that the other kids in my high school, most of whom didn’t go to college, would be responsible for paying my bills to go to college,” Hagerty told a legislative breakfast at the Hamilton County Farm Bureau. “But now we have an administration that wants to give away over $400 billion. It’s just a cheap vote-buying effort. I think it’s pretty egregious.”
Hagerty said that blanket cancellation of such debt not only increases government red ink, but also undermines personal responsibility and self-reliance.
Critics on social media questioned whether Hagerty was equally critical of the pandemic relief given to employers in the form of paycheck protection loans. As of April 1, the Small Business Administration estimates, the program has provided 11.46 million loans totaling $789.6 billion. Of that, $757.1 billion has been forgiven.
Staff photo by Robin Rudd / Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly, left, listens as U.S. Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tennessee, speaks during a tour of the new EPB quantum lab Thursday. Hagerty takes issue with student debt forgiveness.
Budgeting process
U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, one of the key “cardinals” on the subcommittee of the U.S. House Appropriations Committee, said he expects a better budget-making process this year after the agreement reached in the spring to raise the federal debt limit.
Legislation passed to raise the federal debt limit created budget-cutting provisions for federal agencies if a new federal budget is not adopted by the end of the year.
“This highlights the need for rapprochement to move forward,” the Ooltewah Republican told the Chattanooga Times Free Press in an interview last week.
Fleischmann chairs the House Energy and Water Subcommittee, and his panel’s 2024 spending plan was adopted last month by the House Appropriations Committee as one of five major spending areas.
The committee’s vote followed a strict partisan line in the GOP-controlled panel, and the measure could still face further challenges in the full House and Democratic-controlled Senate.
“I think it’s a much better process,” Fleischmann said.
Fleischmann made his first presentation last month to the full Accreditation Committee. A number of Republicans and Democrats congratulated the relatively new cardinal.
Contact Dave Flessner at dflessner@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6340.
Contact Andy Sher at asher@timesfreepress.com or 615-285-9480.
Staff photo by Robin Rudd / U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, R-Ooltewah, spoke Thursday at the Sports Medicine and Orthopedic Center’s groundbreaking for a new surgery center. Fleischmann sees a better budget process ahead.
