Cruz introduces bill to block federal funding for critical race theory

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Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz introduced a bill Thursday that would ban federal funding to any recipient who teaches critical race theory during workplace training. 

Congressional Republicans have ardently opposed critical race theory as a controversial doctrine that assumes systematic racism is prevalent in U.S. society.

"The federal government has no right to force a political agenda onto Americans, especially one that aims to tear down our institutions and divide us based on race," Cruz said in a statement introducing his legislation. "Critical Race Theory originated out of the critical race studies movement."

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The Texas lawmaker did not outline which federally funded institutions he is concerned are relying on the controversial topic during workplace training.

Cruz’s bill, dubbed the End CRT Act, is just the latest in a series of GOP-led proposals that seek to ban critical race theory in public schools and universities. 

Supporters of the movement argue Americans should review how racism has morphed into a social construct.

The Texas Republican criticized President Biden’s reversal of a Trump-era executive order that banned "blame-focused" workplace training in federal agencies, federal contractors, and by federal grant recipients.

The Trump administration’s policy aimed to circumvent race or sex-based "scapegoating or stereotyping."

Cruz claimed critical race theory is a "Marxist ideology that sees the world as a battle, not between the classes - as classical Marxism does - but between the races."

"This is inherently bigoted," he added. 

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Rep. Burgess Owens, a Black lawmaker from Utah, introduced a companion bill in the House and alleged critical race theory "undermines civil rights."

"I grew up attending segregated schools in the Jim Crow South during a time when people were treated differently based on the color of their skin," the freshman Republican said. "Critical Race Theory preserves this way of thinking and undermines civil rights, constitutionally guaranteed equal protection before the law, and U.S. institutions at large."