WASHINGTON—During the Senate’s late-night budget reconciliation “vote-a-rama,” senators narrowly approved an amendment that prohibits or limits federal taxpayer dollars from being used to promote critical race theory (CRT), or to compel students or teachers to affirm CRT in public schools.

The Heritage Foundation’s Will Skillman fellow in education Jonathan Butcher and Angeles T. Arredondo E Pluribus Unum fellow Mike Gonzalez released the following statement Wednesday in response:

“The U.S. Senate made a powerful statement in favor of protecting all children from the racism of critical race theory by passing this amendment. Critical race theory is based on the barbaric notion that racial discrimination is necessary in public and private life.

“By rejecting the application of CRT’s racial discrimination in K-12 public schools, even in a non-binding amendment, federal officials have firmly reinforced a pillar of federal law: the U.S. Civil Rights Act of 1964.

“The teaching of critical race theory in schools often involves dividing classrooms according to affinity groups based on race and ethnicity—a practice that violates the essence of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, not to mention the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

“No public official should compel a teacher or student to believe or profess a racist idea. Americans no longer live in the Jim Crow era. The federal government cannot discriminate according to race or national origin.”