'Tell Us What's Going On': Jim Jordan Demands Answers About School Board Memo

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At the House Judiciary Committee hearing on the Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act of 2021, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) called out the controversial memo on school boards and parents.

 

Here is the complete conversation:

Jim: I thank the gentleman for yielding again, just remember this is simply a reporting amendment, there are all kinds of reporting in the legislation, and don't forget, the catalyst for all this had some reporting in it. The initial school boards association letter cited 24 incidents where they said, these are the 24 examples that they had in their letter, that went to the attorney general and he said was the basis for his memorandum setting this whole process in motion. And of those 24 were not even violent in any way shape or form and before that could be categorized as violent was the situation in Virginia, where I think any dad would have probably taken the action that that father took at that particular meeting. 

So, there was reporting, that was come way out of line for what the justice department is now undertaking and what they're doing? So we're simply saying on the other end what's happening now? Remember the reporting in that initial letter, the school board associates have since apologized for the letter and that's what started it all. So the gentleman from North Carolina has a simple amendment, tell us what's going on? Where is this designation, this label, this threat tag, who's it being assigned to? how's it being done? We want to know because we know what started it all was not presented in an accurate fashion whatsoever and that was the catalyst for it all so we kind of like to know what's and I think frankly the American people and certainly moms and dads would like to know to thank the gentleman for yielding and yield back.

Then, Mr. Bishop responded and said: 

What is the objection to letting this be disclosed even the details of how this is being used I have some sensitivity to the point made by the gentlelady from Texas, about the language. You know putting this language in here and the number of parents tagged with the threat tag EDU officials into this provision about reporting on domestic terrorism, but again remember national school boards association letter said this should be characterized as domestic terrorism that's what they really recognized. They had to apologize and of course what we're talking about is a tag, that is used, in a counter-terrorism database by the counter-terrorism division of the FBI. I don't know where else you would put it other than asking for reporting about incidents of domestic terrorism that are being investigated or recorded by the FBI.

Hence, makes all the sense in the world to me again I'd be since I'd be and I'm perfectly glad to accept alternative ways to express it, but I don't want to let the issue go and not be addressed at all hence I'm not willing to withdraw the amendment now yield back the general yields back.