Congress is seeking to overturn an unpopular new federal rule, expected to limit charter growth nationwide. In order to jettison the rule, charter supporters in Congress are leveraging the Congressional Review Act. Late last week, for instance, lawmakers introduced a joint resolution, “providing for congressional disapproval” under the Act, and stipulating that the new charter rule “shall have no force or effect.”
North Carolina lawmakers support pushback on charter rule
In the U.S. Senate, Senator Tim Scott is leading the effort to “nullify” the federal rule. See his statement here. Co-sponsors include Senators Richard Burr and Thom Tillis of North Carolina.
Congressman John Moolenaar is leading pushback in the U.S. House of Representatives. Read more from him here. North Carolina Congresswoman Virginia Foxx is an original co-sponsor of the House resolution. View her press release here.
National charter leaders have voiced support for congressional action. In a recent statement, Nina Rees, CEO of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, applauded the resolution. She said:
The Charter Schools Program (CSP) is the only federal program to support the growth of public charter schools across the country. When the U.S. Department of Education proposed new rules which were developed without stakeholder input, in violation of the statute, it could only be interpreted as a direct threat to the existence of these unique public schools.
… Despite modifications made by the U.S. Department of Education to the final rule, we remain concerned that the regulations will delay or prevent thousands of students from accessing seats in high-quality schools with its burdensome requirements. We are grateful our charter school supporters in Congress share these concerns and are taking action. We particularly applaud Senator Tim Scott and Congressman John Moolenaar’s joint resolution to overturn the rules.
