Sen. Marsha Blackburn targets teachers union with new anti-lobbying legislation

Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn is coming for the National Education Association (NEA) with a legislative sledgehammer.

On Tuesday, the Tennessee lawmaker introduced the “Terminating Education Association Congressional Handouts Act,” or “Teach Act,” a bold move to stop the NEA, the largest teachers union in the U.S., from lobbying Congress, while also threatening its federally chartered status for noncompliance, as Breitbart reports.

This isn’t Blackburn’s first rodeo with the NEA — she’s previously pushed to strip the union of its congressional charter altogether.

Blackburn’s battle against NEA influence

The NEA, founded in 1857 and granted its charter in 1906, has long enjoyed the perks of being a federally recognized nonprofit, but Blackburn argues it’s strayed far from its original mission.

“The NEA has abandoned its mission of supporting America’s teachers and students in the name of pushing its far-left political agenda,” Blackburn declared. Well, if the shoe fits, it’s time to walk away from Capitol Hill influence, isn’t it?

Under the proposed Teach Act, the NEA would need to submit yearly certifications to the secretary of Education, swearing off any lobbying antics, and keep detailed records for federal audits to prove it.

Consequences loom for noncompliance

Fail to comply, and the consequences are steep — the bill could terminate the NEA’s cherished status as a federally chartered entity.

Blackburn’s office points to a laundry list of the union’s recent political stances as the spark for this legislative fire, and it’s hard to argue they’ve stayed neutral on the playground of ideas.

Take, for instance, the NEA’s recent vote to cut ties with the Anti-Defamation League and label certain political actions as “fascism” in their materials, according to documents obtained by education advocate Corey A. DeAngelis.

NEA takes controversial policy positions

Then there’s the partnership with the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network under NEA President Becky Pringle, an alliance pushing for gender ideology in K-12 schools, sometimes without parental knowledge—a move many parents might find more secretive than a middle schooler’s diary.

Back in 2021, the NEA also embraced measures supporting critical race theory, a framework that’s ignited fierce debate over what belongs in classrooms.

During the school closures of 2020 and 2021, the NEA was a vocal force advocating to keep doors shut, reportedly even swaying CDC guidance — a decision that left many families frustrated and students stuck at home.

Political spending raises eyebrows

Adding fuel to Blackburn’s fire, a report from Open Secrets shows that in the most recent election cycle, a staggering 98% of NEA political donations flowed to Democrat candidates, hardly the picture of impartiality.

“The NEA has become nothing more than a radical-left activist group, and it has no business using its status as a congressionally chartered entity to push woke gender ideology, antisemitism, and propaganda on America’s students,” Blackburn stated. If that’s not a call to rein in overreach, what is?

Attempts to get a response from the NEA were met with silence by publication time, leaving us to wonder if they’re too busy drafting lesson plans on progressive policy to comment. Turns out, actions — or in this case, inactions — have consequences.