Minority leader in the House, Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), Falsely claimed that Democrats were successful in a search to “ban Dr. Seuss” on Tuesday.
McCarthy made comments from the House floor when speaking out against HR 1, the For the People Act, a voting rights bill introduced by Democrats. The company that owns the rights to Theodor Seuss Geisel’s works, better known as Dr. Seuss, announced on the same day that six of the children’s books would not be republished due to racist images, but the books were not banned and the Democrats were not involved in the decision. .
“HR 1 rewrites the electoral law and imposes one-size-fits-all party rules from Washington,” said McCarthy. “According to the Constitution, we generally give states and counties elections. Democrats want to change that. First, they ban Dr. Seuss and now they want to tell us what to say.”
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McCarthy insisted that the bill would threaten freedom of expression, probably due to provisions centered on the disclosure of political donors and spending, while also jeopardizing “electoral integrity”. He said that “everyone” has a personal experience of themselves or someone they know who received a vote in error, while highlighting distrust in the electoral process.
“Everyone has a personal story: their friend, their family, their neighbor getting a ballot they shouldn’t have,” said McCarthy. “Each of these stories erodes confidence in electoral integrity. However, at HR 1, future voters may be dead, or illegal immigrants, or maybe even registered two or three times. I think Democrats just don’t care, as long as they be re-elected. “
HR 1 would not legalize voters by registering more than once or voting on multiple ballots, nor would it allow votes from non-citizens or dead people. Former President Donald Trump and some of his allies claimed that similar methods were used in an unfounded allegation of widespread electoral fraud that allegedly resulted in President Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 elections.
Neither the Democrats nor the government had any role in deciding to remove Dr. Seuss’s books. Dr. Seuss Enterprises, owner of the books, issued a statement on Tuesday announcing that it had taken the decision to stop printing six of the more than 60 books last year, based on “painful and wrong” descriptions of people in the United States. books.
“Dr. Seuss Enterprises, working with a panel of experts, including educators, reviewed our catalog of titles and made the decision last year to stop publishing and licensing the following titles: And to think I saw it on Mulberry Street, If I ran the zoo, McElligot’s Pool, On Beyond Zebra!, Super scrambled eggs!, and The Cat’s Quizzer“says the statement.” These books portray people in ways that are harmful and wrong. “
“Ceasing sales of these books is only part of our commitment and our broader plan to ensure that the Dr. Seuss Enterprises catalog represents and supports all communities and families,” he adds.
Newsweek contacted McCarthy’s office for comment.