Since the ratification of the United States Constitution in 1788, there have been more than 11,000 amendment proposals from members of Congress, with only 27 being ratified into American law.
The daunting odds did not deter Rep. Debbie Lesko, R-Ariz., from submitting a parental rights amendment to the most treasured document of U.S. governance.
"It's a very common-sense piece of legislation that protects parents' rights — basically a Bill of Rights for parents," Lesko said Tuesday on Newsmax's "American Agenda."
"The Biden administration and Democrats are going after parents, if the parents disagree with their leftist agenda. ... It's something that I believe is necessary," said Lesko, while adding that her proposal, introduced in October, would ensure "that parents have jurisdiction over their children ... and what schools their children can attend, and what they're being taught."
According to Future-Ed.org, a website that tracks pieces of legislation submitted in various states, 84 bills dedicated to expanding parental rights in schools have been pre-filed or introduced in 26 states as of August.
Lesko's amendment proposal serves as a national extension of what is already being accomplished at the state level.
"It's a sad state of affairs when we have to do this" type of legislation, said Lesko, who acknowledges that it could be difficult to ratify the amendment proposal, since congressional Democrats and President Joe Biden have already signaled their dislike for statewide Parental Rights in Education bills.
"It's a heavy lift, but it's also important to get some stakes in the ground," said Lesko, in terms of demonstrating that "Republicans believe that parents are the best people to decide" the educational fates of their children.
According to the National Archives, "a proposed amendment becomes part of the Constitution as soon as it is ratified by three-fourths of the States (38 of 50 states).
"When the [Office of the Federal Register] verifies that it has received the required number of authenticated ratification documents, it drafts a formal proclamation for the Archivist to certify that the amendment is valid and has become part of the Constitution.
"This certification is published in the Federal Register and U.S. Statutes at Large and serves as official notice to the Congress and to the Nation that the amendment process has been completed."
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