Bowling Green Today

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Recently, the Biden Administration announced its plan to withhold funding from schools with hunting and archery programs, based on purposeful misinterpretation of a provision in last year’s gun control legislation. As a continuation of his efforts to fight back against this assault on American values and these important school programs, last week, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) introduced the Educating Responsible Future Hunters Act. Last year, Dr. Paul fought to protect Americans’ rights during the Senate’s consideration of gun control legislation. He proposed several amendments, including one to remove the provision preventing schools from using funds to be spent on arming and training personnel to protect students and teachers.

"The Biden Administration is using the same provision I fought to have stripped from the gun control bill to wrongly justify their assault on Kentucky students’ hunting and archery programs," said Dr. Rand Paul. "My Educating Responsible Future Hunters Act permanently removes that provision and ensures the Administration’s baseless attack on Kentucky and American values ends at the federal level."

"The federal government has no business imposing federal restrictions on local schools that choose to offer programs to educate students on firearm safety and the skills required for hunting and archery," said Congressman Ogles. "I’m pleased to be able to join Dr. Paul in this effort to push back against the Biden Administration’s proposed block of federal funds for schools that offer these extracurricular courses."

"The Biden Administration and their gun-grabbing allies launched a new front in their war on Second Amendment rights by stripping funding for school hunting and archery programs. This constant onslaught and eroding of the Second Amendment needs to stop. The National Association for Gun Rights commends Senator Paul and Representative Ogles for taking action to support our students who simply wish to exercise their constitutional rights in a safe and responsible manner," said Hunter King, Director of Federal Affairs for the National Association for Gun Rights.

"Senator Paul and Representative Ogles deserve praise for stepping into the fray, calling out this administration’s ridiculous plan to block funds for hunter safety and other programs, and repealing this statute. This is just one of so many poor policies that resulted from the so-called ‘compromise’ on gun control that Congress never should have enacted last year," said Aidan Johnston, Director of Federal Affairs for Gun Owners of America.

"Biden’s War on Hunters and Recreational Shooters has been elevated to unprecedented heights by blocking these funds that have supported firearm safety programs in American schools for nearly six decades. We fully support the Educating Responsible Future Hunters Act to stop Biden’s attack and restore these important programs that provide untold benefits to millions of school children each year," said Mark Jones of Second Amendment Hunters.

Background:

Recently, Dr. Paul and 18 Senate Republicans sent a letter to President Biden urging his administration to withdraw its plans to block funding for elementary and secondary schools with hunting and archery programs.

During consideration of the gun control bill in the Senate last year, Dr. Paul introduced several amendments and solutions to rectify the constitutional deficiencies of the legislation. Had one of Dr. Paul’s amendments been adopted instead of blocked, the Biden Administration would have been unable to use the gun control bill to threaten the existence of these educational activities.

While Dr. Paul voted against the gun control bill, 15 Republican Senators joined with Democrats to pass it.

For more information, visit Senator Rand Paul's website.