On Wednesday members of the Iowa House of Representatives debated a bill that would require students at regent universities to take a course on American Government or civics in order to graduate from a bachelorette program.
House Study Bill 56 passed through the subcommittee with support from Republican State Representatives Steve Holt and Skyler Wheeler. But it didn’t pass without some fireworks after Democrat State Rep. Monica Kurth said devotion to America has to be earned, not taught.
In her closing comments, Kurth said she opposed the bill for “a lot of reasons.” Kurth was bothered by the line stating a study of “devotion” of American institutions and ideals.
“I’d like to say that devotion is not taught it is earned,” she said. “When we look at becoming devoted to something we might be looking at lofty ideals like humanitarians, support of diversity and talking about all the things the happen — good and bad — that lead us to where we are today.”
Holt quoted President Ronald Reagan at the beginning of his remarks and then directed his comments toward Kurth.
“Representative Kurth I actually believe that devotion to the United States of America has been earned,” Holt said. “It was earned on Iwo Jima in 1945.”
Kurth then interrupted Holt and he informed her he was talking.
“It was earned on Iwo Jima in 1945 when 6,000 Marines were killed. It’s been earned, Representative Kurth. It’s been earned over and over again with the blood of millions of Americans. And I look forward to advancing the bill,” Holt said.
