ADF applauds Congress for introducing key legislation protecting parental rights

The following quote may be attributed to Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel Matt Sharp, director of the ADF Center for Legislative Advocacy, commending U.S. Sens. Tim Scott, James Lankford, and Rep. Virginia Foxx for introducing the Families’ Rights and Responsibilities Act, a bill that protects parents’ right to guide the upbringing, education, and health care of their children:

“Parents love and know their child best, and they have the right and duty to direct the upbringing and care of their children. Yet parental rights have been eroded by government actions that view children as the property of the state and that exclude parents from critical educational and healthcare decisions. Federal courts are not as protective of families as they should be with some courts treating parental rights as a second tier right. These concerns are what led to the creation of the Promise to America’s Parents—a coalition of grassroots and policy organizations that work to preserve the fundamental right of parents to direct their children’s upbringing, education, and care through sound laws and policies like this bill.

"The Families’ Rights and Responsibilities Act restrains federal government overreach by reaffirming the role of parents to guide the upbringing, education, and health care of their children. It also requires federal courts to safeguard parental rights with the same level of protection afforded other fundamental rights, like free speech and religion. ADF applauds Sen. Scott, Sen. Lankford, and Rep. Foxx for stepping into the gap to protect the parent-child relationship that forms the bedrock of our society. The government should never intrude on parenting choices just because it disagrees with the parents. Now and always, it’s parents who know their children best, not the government.”

Alliance Defending Freedom is an alliance-building, non-profit legal organization committed to protecting religious freedom, free speech, parental rights, and the sanctity of life.

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