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The Biden administration’s decision to withhold federal funding from schools offering hunting or archery programs has stirred up controversy this week.
The administration is blocking funds earmarked under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965, a move that could impact thousands of schools and millions of students across the nation.
According to data from 2022, basic hunter education programs are currently implemented in 38 states.
In addition, over 8,891 schools offer a National Archery in Schools Program (NASP), reaching more than 1.3 million students annually. The basic hunter education program alone had over 600,000 graduates in 2021.
A spokesperson for the Department of Education confirmed the funding block, telling Fox News Digital, “This prohibition applies to all ESEA funds.”
Effective immediately from June 25, 2022, this ban applies to all existing and future awards under all ESEA programs. “The Department is administering the bipartisan law as written by Congress,” added the spokesperson.
The decision stems from a reinterpretation of the ESEA and last year’s Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA).
New guidance issued by the U.S. Department of Education in November 2022 amended the ESEA, prohibiting the use of its funds to provide dangerous weapons or their training.
This change means hunting safety programs, archery programs, and any other programs providing training in the use of items classified as “dangerous weapons” cannot be funded under ESEA programs.
Critics, including Senators John Cornyn and Thom Tillis, believe this is a misinterpretation of the ESEA and BSCA provisions. The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA) praised their efforts but indicated there was more to the story.
SEE ALSO: NSSF Praises House Committee for Standing with Hunters
“We appreciate the diplomacy exhibited by Senators Cornyn and Tillis,” said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb. “However, we’re not convinced this is an innocent mistake by the Biden administration.”
“Quite the opposite, in fact. This appears to be just another manifestation of Joe Biden’s crusade against anything promoting a positive approach to firearms, especially if it is taught in elementary and secondary schools, where young people can learn about genuine firearms safety, and perhaps prevent a tragedy,” he continued.
Organizations like the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) and Safari Club International share these concerns.
An NSSF representative criticized the administration for misconstruing the law to withhold funding from schools teaching hunter safety and archery, arguing that this violates the letter and spirit of the law.
“Congress must hold Secretary Cardona and the department accountable for violating the letter and spirit of the law to unilaterally deny America’s student access to these valuable programs as part of the administration’s attack on the Second Amendment,” said NSSF in an email to GunsAmerica.
“Stopping hunter education courses that teach safe and responsible firearms handling makes our communities less, not more, safe and diminishes our ability to pass on to the next generation our nation’s cherished hunting and shooting sports heritage,” NSSF continued.
No doubt that this whole situation is just heating up. Keep your eyes peeled here for all the latest updates.
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Bring the school’s back to the states . Not the Federal government. That would solve a lot of problems.
Fjb fkh hard. Ever wonder why DNC wants to get rid of Paul Revere, our forefathers and “2A Arms”? Easy, they are afraid of someone using them for the correct purpose. ..
SO tired of this POS
This is a terrible mistake for this administration, what we need is more firearm education. When all schools were required to have gun and hunting education, we didn’t have all these mass shooting problems or all the killings by these young people. They learned to respect and how to use guns and bow’s for hunting and sport. This isn’t good for all schools and students. The legislators need to act to reverse this idiotic act to block funding.
Just another denigration of our society and culture by this administration. Its ok to teach CRT, promote gender affirmation and allow transvestites to perform in schools! But heaven forbid, cannot allow archery classes or hunter safety taught in schools. The shear insanity of the left will be the demise of this once great country unless……………. ’24 hopefully restores common sense in the White House.
Archery also ?!
Hyperbolic paranoia , I’d say .
We’re not dealing with individuals living in reality here .
No we are not dealing with rational people at all.
Just like this meathead we have as head of the ATF, re-interrupting laws that have been accepted under previous directors and causing people to become criminals. Wrist brace law is a prime example, It was legal for years and then it got re-interrupted so now many millions of people will become felons should they not follow the new interpretation of the law. Re-interpretation of the law by an idiot that has no idea which end of the gun actually discharges the bullet.
ATF or any “ABC” group of the government should not be making rules and laws, they should be making recommendations to our actual lawmakers as worthless as they are.
probably the best thing pedo has done for the school system. now they can teach the truth and not biden/communism.