A Dangerous Weapon-Sam Graves

Dear Friend,

Archery, shooting sports, and hunter education courses are becoming more and more popular in schools across the country. Students are getting an education in safety and opportunities that they may not get otherwise. Sadly, that is all under attack.

More than 1.3 million students participate in the National Archery in Schools Program, which covers more than 9,000 schools in 49 states. According to the Hunter Education Association, another 500,000 students participate in hunter education courses.

It is no surprise that these classes are becoming increasingly popular. They offer real-world skills that will last students a lifetime. What is surprising, is that the Biden Administration is trying to cancel all of these classes.

With total liberal control in Washington last year, the Biden Administration rammed through the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act that blocks important federal funding for schools that offer classes that provide "training in the use of a dangerous weapon."

Now the Department of Education is interpreting that to block funding to schools that offer archery, hunter education, or shooting sports classes. That won’t do a darn thing to make our communities safer. It sure won’t help every student succeed. For too many children, this slams the classroom door in their faces.

Instead of blocking archery, shooting sports, and hunter education opportunities for students, we should expand those opportunities. That's why I helped introduce the Hunting Heritage and Education Act, which would overturn this boneheaded interpretation and reopen our classrooms for archery, hunter education, and shooting sports classes.

It is a shame that instead of advancing hunter education and firearm safety on a bipartisan basis, the Biden Administration has decided to turn federal education funding into a dangerous weapon to use against our schools. I will keep working to protect these archer and hunter education opportunities for our children and future generations.

Sincerely,

Sam Graves