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Robert urges colleagues to oppose HR 26 16, saying bill would put students at risk
Summary
A speaker identified as Robert told the House that HR 26 16 would require parental consent for changing students' gender markers and bar discussion of transgender people in classrooms, which he said could endanger students and strip local control over curriculum.
On the House floor, a speaker who identified himself as Robert said he opposed HR 26 16, the "stopping indoctrination and protecting kids act," arguing the bill’s provisions differ starkly from its title.
"What it does is require schools to obtain parental consent before changing a student's gender markers, pronouns, or preferred name on any school form or changing a student's *** based accommodations, including locker rooms or bathrooms," Robert said, summarizing what he described as the bill’s central requirements and saying the rules would apply to elementary and middle school students.
He said the bill also "prohibits the use of federal funds to teach so called gender ideology" and "bars any discussion of transgender people or type or topics in classroom, banning books on trans with transgender characters, or even discuss the existence of transgender people." Robert framed those provisions as a federal intrusion into what states and local districts have long determined by statute.
"It takes away state and local control of curriculum on education," he said, adding that the measure conflicts with the administration’s stated goal of returning authority to states while, in his words, the administration is "illegally dismantling the Department of Education."
Robert acknowledged the importance of parental involvement but said the bill could endanger students and create absurd administrative burdens. "My name is Robert. I go by Bobby," he said as an example, asking whether a middle school coach would need parental permission to list him as "Bobby" on a sports roster and whether a change to "Rob" would trigger another permission request.
He criticized the bill for failing to clarify operational questions such as whether both parents must be notified and who would oversee compliance if the Department of Education’s authority is reduced. He warned that schools that "get it wrong" could risk losing federal funding.
Robert characterized the bill as micromanagement that would not solve pressing education issues. "That's not protecting kids. It won't make trans students disappear. It's just micromanaging, schools and wasting everybody's time," he said, arguing the bill would not improve literacy, address teacher shortages, promote safe learning environments, or support student mental health.
He concluded by calling the bill "unnecessary, overbroad, and potentially harmful," urged his colleagues to oppose it, and reserved the balance of his time.
