A proposed federal bill called the American Heritage Act — backed by conservative activist Charlie Kirk — would allow public schools to teach what it describes as the positive impact of Judeo-Christian values on U.S. history. The legislation is being pushed by an Ohio lawmaker who came to Congress after serving as a pastor.
The bill
Supporters say the measure doesn’t mandate religious instruction. What it does, they argue, is remove barriers that have kept teachers from discussing how Judeo-Christian traditions shaped American law, culture, and civic life. Kirk, who founded the conservative student organization Turning Point USA, has publicly championed the effort.
Opponents aren’t buying that framing. Critics say the bill presents a lopsided account of American history — one that sidelines the contributions of non-Christian communities and glosses over episodes where religion was used to justify discrimination or exclusion. They say the legislation would effectively push a particular theological worldview into publicly funded classrooms.
The Ohio pastor-turned-lawmaker carrying the bill hasn’t broken through to a committee vote yet, according to NPR’s reporting published Wednesday, May 28, 2026. No timeline for a hearing has been announced.
The debate over how religion gets treated in public school curricula isn’t new, but the American Heritage Act puts a prominent national face – Kirk’s – on what has typically been a state-by-state fight. Whether Congress moves the bill forward or it stalls in committee remains an open question.
Reporting by NPR. Read the original report.
