U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland headed back to Capitol Hill on Wednesday to face angered lawmakers who questioned him about the politicization of the Department of Justice. Garland also refused to recant a memo in which he called CRT and LGBT-concerned parents as "domestic terrorists." That very same memo had him call upon the FBI to investigate parents who opposed critical race theory and transgender policies in public classrooms.
"I don't believe it's reasonable to read this memorandum as chilling anyone's rights," Garland said in response to GOP lawmakers on Wednesday, as reported by CBN News. "It's about threats of violence and it expressly recognizes the constitutional right to make arguments about your children's education."
This was Garland's response when Republican Sen. John Cornyn asked him if he ever considered the "chilling effect" that the Attorney General's "threat, a federal prosecution," would have on "parents' exercise of their constitutional rights to be involved in their child's education."
Garland's controversial memo came at the heels of the National School Board Association's (NSBA) letter to President Joe Biden lamenting about their safety in the face of angered parents who opposed critical race theory and transgender policies. The letter sought the federal government's protection against what they believed were "domestic terrorists": parents who cared about their children's education and indoctrination. The NSBA has since apologized for overreacting. Garland, however, does not appear to be interested in apologizing for his memo.
Sen. Cornyn wasn't the only Republican leader to criticize Garland on Wednesday, as Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas also took the opportunity to blast the Attorney General. According to Breitbart. Sen. Cotton told Garland, who was a nominee for the Court but failed to be confirmed, "Thank God you are not on the Supreme Court."
"This testimony, your directive, your performance is shameful," Sen. Cotton said during the Senate hearing. "You should resign in disgrace, judge."
Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri also demanded Garland's resignation, accusing him of "[mobilizing] the FBI to intimidate parents without legal basis and, we now know, premised on misinformation [Garland] didn't bother to verify."
Garland continued to defend the letter labeling parents as "domestic terrorists," claiming that the memo was "not about parents being able to object in their school boards. They are protected by the First Amendment, as long as there are no threats of violence, they are completely protected."
"We are only trying to prevent violence against school officials," Garland concluded.
But parents don't feel protected at all. Moms for America and other organizations representing mothers from across the U.S. have risen up in protest near Capitol Hill on Wednesday, demanding parents to be included in curriculum and policy decisions such as CRT.
Aly Legge, a mother, remarked, "I take full offense to parents like myself that the DOJ and NSBA referring to concerned parents like myself as domestic terrorists."
