Republicans demand answers from Biden admin after Moms for Liberty labeled ‘extremist group’
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (FLV) – Florida Republican congressional leaders sent a letter to the Biden administration demanding answers after the Southern Poverty Law Center’s “outrageous decision” to label Moms for Liberty as an “extremist” group.
The letter urged the administration to “respect parents’ rights to raise their kids” and asked questions regarding the administration’s alleged involvement with the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Republicans who signed the letter include Republican Sens. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, and U.S. Reps. Bill Posey, Neal Dunn, Scott Franklin, Daniel Webster, Aaron Bean, Greg Steube, Anna Paulina Luna, Kat Cammack, Gus Bilirakis and Byron Donalds.
The Southern Poverty Law Center added Moms to Liberty to their list of “hate and anti-government groups” in early June.
“There is nothing extreme about parents being involved in the education of their children. Southern Poverty Law Center’s decision to name Mom’s for Liberty as an ‘extremist’ group is incredibly inaccurate,” Rubio said.
There is nothing extreme about parents being involved in the education of their children.
— Senator Marco Rubio (@SenMarcoRubio) June 28, 2023
Southern Poverty Law Center's decision to name Mom's for Liberty as an "extremist" group is incredibly inaccurate. https://t.co/RlDU3Ph0pU
Southern Poverty Law Center is a nonprofit “civil rights organization dedicated to fighting hate,” according to their website.
Rubio said the Southern Poverty Law Center is a “corrupt and vicious tool of progressive radicals seeking to label individuals and groups with whom they disagree as hateful and/or extremist.”
The senator said there is reason to believe the administration has been coordinating with the Southern Poverty Law Center, as the director met with National Security Council counterterrorism director earlier this year.
“An SPLC director previously met with the Biden Administration’s National Security Council Counterterrorism Director John Picarelli, raising concerns that the White House encouraged or was involved in the SPLC targeting Moms for Liberty,” a statement from Rubio said.
Rubio sent multiple questions to the president, including, “Is the administration using SPLC to assist in the U.S. Department of Justice’s targeting of parents?”
Another question asked was, “What was the purpose of Director Picarelli and Susan Corke’s meeting?”
In the group’s report, they tracked 1,225 “hate and antigovernment groups” across the U.S.
The list includes groups such as Patriot Front, White Christian Brotherhood of the Ku Klux Klan, American Nazi Party, the Proud Boys, Westboro Baptist Church, Parents Defending Education, Family Research Council, Alliance Defending Freedom, and more.
Moms for Liberty was founded in 2021 by parents and former school board members. Tiffany Justice and Tina Descovich are co-founders of the group.
Justice told Florida’s Voice the SPLC’s move is “absolutely ridiculous.”
“The idea that parents speaking out about their children’s education, you know, wanting to have a voice, seeing what their kids are learning, believe that they should be in the driver’s seat when it comes to all facets of their kids lives – the fact that that would be considered to be ‘hateful,’ or ‘anti government’ is just ridiculous,” Justice said.
