Jamie Raskin

10/08/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/08/2025 12:29

Raskin and Schatz Defend the American Freedom to Read and Call to End Nearly 23,000 MAGA Book Bans in the Nation’s Schools

Raskin and Schatz Defend the American Freedom to Read and Call to End Nearly 23,000 MAGA Book Bans in the Nation's Schools

The resolution coincides with Banned Books Week, a national observance from October 5-11.

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Representative Jamie Raskin (MD-08) and Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) introduced a resolution affirming the fundamental American freedom to read and condemning the Trump Administration and MAGA's escalating censorship campaign targeting schools, libraries and universities across the country.

Rep. Raskin and Sen. Schatz's resolution condemns the federal censorship regime that has stretched far beyond Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chair Brendan Carr's unsuccessful efforts to cancel comedians, highlighting the federal assault on Department of Defense Education Activity schools and the termination of key National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities grants for perceived thought crimes.

"President Trump and MAGA's sweeping attacks on Americans' First Amendment rights compel us to act on book bans-just like we're acting to protect the American people from all of the president's other attacks on free expression, public education and the rule of law," said Rep. Raskin. "Authoritarian regimes censor books because they share information and tell stories that can challenge and broaden our perspectives. I'm proud to partner with Senator Schatz against attempts to treat free speech like thought crimes."

"Any attempt to ban books because someone has an ideological disagreement or doesn't believe in capturing the full scope of history is un-American," said Senator Schatz. "Freedom of expression is a founding principle of our country, and it's up to all of us to stand up against these attacks on this fundamental right."

PEN America has identified nearly 23,000 individual instances of books being banned or restricted in school libraries since 2021.

Just last week, the organization released a report documenting 6,870 instances of books being banned between July 2024 and June 2025. Books banned between July 2021 and June 2025 include 3,751 unique titles, censoring the works of 2,589 authors, illustrators, and translators. MAGA book bans have overwhelmingly targeted books authored by perceived outsiders and people from marginalized backgrounds.

According to PEN America, from July 2024 to June 2025, 23 states across the country limited access to certain books, including-

  • Florida, where at least 2,304 books have been banned or restricted in 33 school districts;
  • Texas, where at least 1,781 books have been banned or restricted in seven school districts;
  • Tennessee, where at least 1,622 books have been banned or restricted in eight school districts;
  • Idaho, where at least 150 books have been banned or restricted in one school district; and
  • Iowa, where at least 113 books have been banned or restricted in four school districts.

The resolution is endorsed by the American Library Association, African American Museum of Southern Arizona, Banned Books Week Coalition, EveryLibrary, Hatchette Book Group, Interfaith Alliance, Jewish Council for Public Affairs, Macmillan Publishers, National Council of Jewish Women, National Council of Teachers of English, National Education Association, PEN America, Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, and SourceBooks.

In the House, the resolution is cosponsored by 56 Members of Congress, including Reps. Alma Adams (NC-12); Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01); Julia Brownley (CA-26); Ed Case (HI-01); André Carson (IN-07); Sean Casten (IL-06); Joaquin Castro (TX-20); Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20); Judy Chu (CA-28); Yvette D. Clarke (NY-9); Emanuel Cleaver, II (MO-05); Jim Costa (CA-21); Angie Craig (MN-02); Danny K. Davis (IL-07); Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10); Maxine Dexter (OR-03); Lloyd Doggett (TX-37); Sarah Elfreth (MD-03); Adriano Espaillat (NY-13); Dwight Evans (PA-03); Maxwell Alejandro Frost (FL-10); Daniel Goldman (NY-10); Jared Huffman (CA-02); Glenn Ivey (MD-04); Jonathan Jackson (IL-01); Henry C. "Hank" Johnson (GA-04); Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37); Tim Kennedy (NY-26); Greg Landsman (OH-01); Summer Lee (PA-12); Teresa Leger Fernandez (NM-03); Ted Lieu (CA-36); Stephen F. Lynch (MA-08); LaMonica McIver (NJ-10); Betty McCollum (MN-04); Jim McGovern (MA-02); Grace Meng (NY-06); Seth Moulton (MA-06); Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL); Scott Peters (CA-50); Chellie Pingree (ME-01); Ayanna Pressley (MA-07); Delia Ramírez (IL-03); Raul Ruiz (CA-25); Andrea Salinas (OR-06); Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05); Jan Schakowsky (IL-09); Terri Sewell (AL-07); Lateefah Simon (CA-12); Eric Swalwell (CA-14); Shri Thanedar (MI-13); Rashida Tlaib (MI-12); Marc Veasey (TX-33); Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25); Nikema Williams (GA-05); Frederica Wilson (FL-24).

In the Senate, the resolution is cosponsored by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jack Reed (D-RI), John Fetterman (D-PA), Angus King (I-ME), Ed Markey (D-MA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Peter Welch (D-VT), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), and Chris Murphy (CT).

Read the full text of the resolution here.

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