My priorities include ... stopping critical race theory
Brett Guthrie will stop critical race theory.
Occurrences
Evidence
The committee report for H.R. 5 says Republicans learned that “divisive and inappropriate topics like Critical Race Theory (CRT) and progressive gender ideology have infiltrated public schools,” and that H.R. 5 would take steps to clarify what parents can know about school instruction and decisions. Brett Guthrie is listed among the Republican cosponsors of H.R. 5.
The minority views section says parents “learned that divisive and inappropriate topics like Critical Race Theory (CRT) and progressive gender ideology have infiltrated public schools,” and discusses H.R. 5 as a response. The report also describes the bill as duplicative of current law and an example of federal overreach, indicating the policy was contested and not an established federal ban on CRT.
An amendment was adopted in the House to “prohibit the promotion of critical race theory and associated race-based theories” in the FY2025 NDAA. This is a separate House action on CRT language, showing continued legislative activity on the issue, but it is not evidence of a Guthrie-led law or of a completed nationwide stop to CRT.
The CRT Act was introduced to prohibit federal funds from going to schools that promote certain race-based theories, and its latest action was referral to committee. This is evidence that anti-CRT legislation existed, but it was not enacted and does not show Brett Guthrie delivered the claim.
Congress.gov’s member page for Brett Guthrie shows his ongoing federal service and recent legislative activity, including 119th Congress sponsorships and committee actions, but no indication that a CRT ban or comparable policy has been enacted as of the current date.
Public Law 118-159 includes section 559E, titled "Prohibition on use of Federal funds to endorse critical race theory." It states that funds authorized by the Act may not be used to endorse critical race theory at a Department of Defense academic institution, in training for members of the Armed Forces, or in professional military education, while preserving academic freedom for instructional materials and lectures.
Congress.gov records H.R.5009 as becoming Public Law No. 118-159 on December 23, 2024, after the House agreed to the Senate amendment with an amendment on December 11, 2024, the Senate agreed on December 18, 2024, and the President signed it on December 23, 2024.
The House Clerk's roll call for H.R.5009 shows the December 11, 2024 vote passed 281-140. Brett Guthrie, Republican of Kentucky, is listed as voting Yea.
Congress.gov lists Rep. Guthrie, Brett [R-KY-2] as a cosponsor of H.R.5, the Parents Bill of Rights Act, from March 1, 2023.
The House committee report for H.R.5 says parents learned that "divisive and inappropriate topics like Critical Race Theory (CRT) and progressive gender ideology" had entered public schools, and the report lists Brett Guthrie among Republican cosponsors.
Congress.gov shows H.R.5 passed the House by recorded vote, 213-208, on March 24, 2023, but its latest action was March 27, 2023: received in the Senate, read twice, and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
The House Clerk's roll call for H.R.5 shows the Parents Bill of Rights Act passed 213-208 on March 24, 2023. Guthrie, Republican of Kentucky, is listed as voting Aye.
Congress.gov records that H.Amdt.981 to H.R.8070, the Luna amendment, was agreed to by voice vote on June 13, 2024, and was described as an amendment "to prohibit the promotion of critical race theory and associated race-based theories."
The 2025 executive order directs an Ending Indoctrination Strategy to identify and prevent federal funds from supporting gender ideology or discriminatory equity ideology in K-12 curriculum, instruction, programs, activities, and teacher education or training. It also defines discriminatory equity ideology in race-related terms.
Assessments
The broad promise to stop critical race theory was not fully delivered nationwide or across federal education policy. However, during Guthrie's continued House service, Congress enacted a limited anti-CRT funding restriction in the FY2025 NDAA for Department of Defense academic institutions, military training, and professional military education, and Guthrie voted for the enacted bill. He also cosponsored and voted for H.R.5, an anti-CRT-related Parents Bill of Rights measure that passed the House but did not become law. A later presidential executive order further addressed related K-12 funding issues, but that was not Guthrie-led. These facts support partial fulfillment in the same federal term, not full delivery.
The promise is broad—'stop critical race theory'—and there is no evidence Guthrie achieved an enacted federal ban or otherwise completed that outcome. However, there is evidence he materially supported relevant anti-CRT legislation during his current House service, including cosponsoring H.R. 5, which was explicitly framed by supporters as addressing CRT in schools. Other cited congressional actions show the issue remained at the proposal or House-amendment stage rather than becoming completed federal policy attributable to Guthrie. Because he took concrete legislative action toward the promise but did not deliver the promised result, the best judgment is partial rather than delivered.