[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 443 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. RES. 443
Expressing concern about the growing problem of book banning, and the
proliferation of threats to freedom of expression in the United States.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
October 8, 2025
Mr. Schatz (for himself, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Merkley, Ms. Hirono, Mr.
Padilla, Mr. Reed, Mr. Fetterman, Mr. King, Mr. Markey, Mr. Booker, Mr.
Durbin, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Welch, Mr.
Sanders, Mr. Heinrich, Ms. Alsobrooks, and Mr. Murphy) submitted the
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the
Judiciary
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Expressing concern about the growing problem of book banning, and the
proliferation of threats to freedom of expression in the United States.
Whereas the overwhelming majority of voters in the United States oppose book
bans;
Whereas an overwhelming majority of voters in the United States support
educators teaching about the civil rights movement, the history and
experiences of Native Americans, enslaved Africans, immigrants facing
discrimination, and the ongoing effects of racism;
Whereas an overwhelming majority of Americans are confident that the public
schools of their communities select appropriate books for students to
read;
Whereas, in 1969, the Supreme Court of the United States held in Tinker v. Des
Moines Independent Community School District, 393 U.S. 503 (1969), that
students do not ``shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech
or expression at the schoolhouse gate'';
Whereas, in 1982, a plurality of the Supreme Court of the United States wrote in
Board of Education, Island Trees Union Free School District No. 26 v.
Pico, 457 U.S. 853 (1982), that schools may not remove library books
based on ``narrowly partisan or political grounds'', as this kind of
censorship will result in ``official suppression of ideas'';
Whereas the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States protects
freedom of speech and the freedom to read and write;
Whereas Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that
``everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this
right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to
seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and
regardless of frontiers'';
Whereas PEN America has identified 6,870 instances of individual books banned
between July 2024 and June 2025;
Whereas books banned between July 2024 and June 2025 include 3,751 unique
titles, censoring the works of 2,589 authors, illustrators, and
translators;
Whereas the majority of book bans were enacted without following the best
practice guidelines for book challenges outlined by the American Library
Association, the National Coalition Against Censorship, and the National
Council of Teachers of English;
Whereas the unimpeded exchange of ideas and the freedom to read are essential to
a strong democracy;
Whereas books do not require readers to agree with topics, themes, or
viewpoints, but instead allow readers to explore and engage with
differing perspectives to form and inform their own views;
Whereas suppressing the freedom to read and denying access to literature,
history, and knowledge are repressive and anti-democratic tactics used
by authoritarian regimes against their people;
Whereas book bans violate the rights of students, families, residents, and
citizens based on the political, ideological, and cultural preferences
of the specific individuals or groups imposing the bans;
Whereas book bans have multifaceted, harmful consequences on--
(1) students, who have a right to access a diverse range of stories and
perspectives, especially students from historically marginalized
backgrounds whose communities are often targeted by thought control
measures;
(2) educators and librarians, who are operating in some States in an
increasingly punitive and surveillance-oriented environment and experience
a chilling effect in their work;
(3) authors whose works are targeted and suppressed;
(4) parents who want their children to attend public schools that
remain open to curiosity, discovery, and the freedom to read; and
(5) community members who want free access to a range of uncensored
information and knowledge from their public libraries;
Whereas classic and award-winning literature and books that have been part of
school curricula for decades have been challenged, removed from
libraries pending review, or outright banned from schools, including--
(1) ``Brave New World'' by Aldous Huxley;
(2) ``The Handmaid's Tale'' by Margaret Atwood;
(3) ``Anne Frank's Diary: The Graphic Adaptation'' adapted by Ari
Folman;
(4) ``Their Eyes Were Watching God'' by Zora Neal Hurston; and
(5) ``To Kill a Mockingbird'' by Harper Lee;
Whereas books, particularly those written by and about outsiders, newcomers, and
individuals from marginalized backgrounds, are facing a heightened risk
of being banned;
Whereas, according to PEN America, a disproportionate number of books banned or
otherwise restricted in the United States have LGBTQ+ characters or
themes that recognize the equal humanity and dignity of all individuals
despite differences, including--
(1) ``And Tango Makes Three'' by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell;
and
(2) ``This Book Is Gay'' by Juno Dawson;
Whereas many books, both fiction and nonfiction, that have been targeted for
bans or restrictions in the United States are books about race or
racism, or that feature characters of color, including--
(1) ``The Story of Ruby Bridges'' by Robert Coles and illustrated by
George Ford;
(2) ``Letter from Birmingham Jail'' by Martin Luther King Jr.;
(3) ``Thank You, Jackie Robinson'' by Barbara Cohen;
(4) ``Malala: A Hero For All'' by Shana Corey;
(5) ``Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story'' by Kevin Noble
Maillard;
(6) ``Hair Love'' by Matthew A. Cherry;
(7) ``Good Trouble: Lessons From the Civil Rights Playbook'' by
Christopher Noxon; and
(8) ``We Are All Born Free: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights
in Pictures'' by Amnesty International;
Whereas the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund has reported a dramatic surge in
challenges at libraries and schools to the inclusion of graphic novels
that depict the diversity of civic life in the United States and the
painful and complex history of racism, homophobia, Anti-Asian bias, and
antisemitism embedded in the human experience, including--
(1) ``New Kid'' by Jerry Craft;
(2) ``Maus'' by Art Spiegelman;
(3) ``American Born Chinese'' by Gene Luen Yang; and
(4) ``Drama'' by Raina Telgemeier;
Whereas books addressing death, grief, mental illness, and suicide are targeted
alongside nonfiction books that discuss feelings and emotions written
for teenage and young adult audiences that frequently confront these
topics;
Whereas, during congressional hearings on April 7, 2022, May 19, 2022, and
September 12, 2023, students, parents, teachers, librarians, and school
administrators testified to the chilling and fear-spreading effects that
book bans have on education and the school environment;
Whereas, since 2021, State legislation censoring certain content within schools
and libraries has been enacted across the country, resulting in nearly
23,000 book bans;
Whereas an increasing amount of book censorship goes unreported and may be
higher than is currently reported due to mass removals implementing
vaguely-written State legislation and a lack of transparency about
district-based removals;
Whereas, according to PEN America, from July 2024 to June 2025, 23 States across
the country limited access to certain books for limited or indefinite
periods of time, including--
(1) Florida, where at least 2,304 books have been banned or restricted
in 33 school districts;
(2) Texas, where at least 1,781 books have been banned or restricted in
7 school districts;
(3) Tennessee, where at least 1,622 books have been banned or
restricted in 8 school districts;
(4) Idaho, where at least 150 books have been banned or restricted in 1
school district; and
(5) Iowa, where at least 113 books have been banned or restricted in 4
school districts;
Whereas the President of the United States has repeatedly expressed support for
the censorship of certain subjects such as gender, sexuality, and race
through public statements and Executive orders;
Whereas, following Executive orders, Department of Defense Education Activity
(referred to in this preamble as ``DoDEA'') schools removed books
related to diversity, equity, and inclusion, ``gender ideology'', and
anything that would suggest ``that America's founding documents are
racist or sexist'', resulting in the censorship of classroom instruction
and student activities, as well as the removal of at least 596 books in
DoDEA schools;
Whereas, following the same Executive orders, the Department of Defense directed
all military academies to identify and remove books from their libraries
that include themes related to race, ``gender ideology'', and other
``divisive concepts'' that the Administration considers ``incompatible
with the department's core mission'', which led to the temporary removal
of nearly 400 books from the Nimitz Library of the United States Naval
Academy, including ``I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings'' by Maya Angelou;
Whereas at least 20 books remain suspended from the shelves of the United States
Naval Academy;
Whereas grants administered by the National Endowment for the Arts, the National
Endowment for the Humanities, and other Federal agencies have been
terminated or revoked for using language related to race, gender, and
LGBTQ+ identity or addressing social inequality; and
Whereas the Office of Civil Rights of the Department of Education has claimed
book bans are a ``hoax,'' ended investigations of alleged discrimination
related to book banning, and fired the staff person in charge of
addressing the book banning crisis: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) expresses concern about the spreading problem of book
banning and the proliferating threats to freedom of expression
in the United States;
(2) reaffirms the commitment of the United States to
supporting the freedom of expression of writers that is
protected under the First Amendment to the Constitution and the
freedom of all individuals in the United States to read books
without government censorship;
(3) calls on local governments and school districts to
follow best practice guidelines when addressing challenges to
books;
(4) calls on local governments and school districts to
protect the rights of students to learn and the ability of
educators and librarians to teach, including by providing
students with the opportunity to read a wide array of books
reflecting the full breadth and diversity of viewpoints and
perspectives;
(5) calls for the return of all books removed from
Department of Defense schools and libraries under Executive
orders since January 2025; and
(6) calls for the repeal of Executive orders and rescission
of directives that have enacted content-based and viewpoint-
based restrictions on the freedom to read and learn in United
States public schools and libraries.
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