Republicans Rep. Mark Harris of North Carolina and Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee will introduce the National Education Association Charter Repeal Act in their respective chambers, aiming to sever the union from its congressional ties, a congressional aide told the Caller. Founded in 1857, the NEA received its charter from Congress in 1906 and now represents over 3 million educators nationwide.
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“From branding President Trump a fascist to embracing divisive gender ideology and walking away from efforts to fight antisemitism, the NEA has become nothing more than a partisan advocacy group,” the representative continued. “Since the NEA is clearly not prioritizing students, parents or even teachers, it’s time to remove Congress’ seal of approval from this rogue organization.”
The federal charter formalized the NEA’s status as nonprofit organization under federal statute and with a purpose acknowledged by the government.
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More recently, the NEA has faced controversy for passing a resolution that “pledges to defend democracy against Trump’s embrace of fascism by using the term facism [sic] in NEA materials to correctly characterize Donald Trump’s program and actions,” the New York Post reported, citing documents obtained by conservative education expert Corey DeAngelis.
“Time and again, teachers’ unions have shown they’ll put their political agenda ahead of students’ needs,” said Blackburn. “The National Education Association has made it crystal clear it’s a partisan organization, and it shouldn’t be rewarded with a federal charter that platforms woke gender ideology, antisemitism, and left-wing propaganda. Our students deserve better.”
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The NEA’s operations rely primarily on member dues, not support from the federal government, according to Influence Watch. However, the bill could sever the organization’s congressional ties and eliminate certain property tax exemptions, according to the statement obtained by the Caller.
Similar bills to revoke the NEA’s charter, including one proposed by Blackburn in 2022, have struggled to gain traction, stalling in committee or merely being introduced on the floor.
The Caller has reached out to the NEA for comment but has not received a response at the time of publication.
This article has been updated with comment from Sen. Marsha Blackburn