Franklin Introduces Resolution to Combat USDA

In response to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) threatening to withhold lunch funding from schools that do not comply with the White House’s sexual orientation and gender ideology policies, Representative Scott Franklin (R-FL) has introduced a resolution to combat this notion.

In May of 2022, the USDA announced that they would interpret the word “sex” within the language of Title IX to mean “sexual orientation and gender identity,” which would allow the Department to ban those who receive funding from the Food and Assistance Service (FNS) should they not comply with the USDA’s interpretation.

Rep. Franklin’s bicameral Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution would rescind the USDA’s unprecedented strategy as it would reign in the federal government's power by “providing clarity on the agency’s statutory authority."

While the Biden White House stoops so low as to use school lunch as leverage in a political game to intimidate school systems into adopting their woke agenda, we’ve worked hard in Florida to kick progressive culture wars out of the classroom and keep parents in charge, Franklin said. “We don’t coparent with the federal government. The USDA does not have the authority to impose LGBTQ ideology and dangerous social experiments like shared bathrooms and locker rooms on local schools. I thank my colleagues for joining me to hold the Biden Administration accountable for this abuse of power.”

Moreover, co-sponsor Representative Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) said, "This critical program should not be held hostage by the Biden administration.”

“The federal school lunch program provides essential nutrition for many of Florida’s most vulnerable children.  For some, it is the only consistent meal they can rely upon” Rep. Bilirakis said.  “This critical program should not be held hostage by the Biden Administration’s continued attempts to force its liberal ideology and a woke agenda down the throats of all Americans.”

Attorney Generals of 22 states have sued the Biden Administration regarding this matter, including Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Organizations such as Heritage Action Alliance Defending Freedom and CatholicVote have also supported the resolution.