The White House eked out approval for a bipartisan bill that protects federal funding for hunter safety and archery programs in schools. 

Without fanfare, a bill-signing ceremony, or even a post on social media, President Biden signed the Protecting Hunting Heritage and Education Act into law on Friday. While two other bills were signed alongside the measure, and a brief White House statement thanked and recognized the lawmakers behind them, the backers of the pro-hunting bill received no such kind words. 

The measure, introduced in the House as H.R.5110 by U.S. Rep. Mark Green (R-Tenn) last month, swept both chambers of Congress to reach Biden's desk, earning an upvote from all but nine lawmakers with only one, a Democrat, casting a vote against it. 

The bill was sparked by an interpretation by the Biden Administration’s Department of Education that blocked federal funding for hunter's ed and archery programs under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 when viewed through the lens of the increasingly unpopular Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, an anti-gun measure that was rushed through Congress last June. 

"I appreciate the President signing this bill into law," said Green. "Today, politics was put aside, and our children are the real winners. Student athletes deserve to take part in shooting sports without fear of their programs losing funding. If there’s anything both sides of the aisle can unite on, it’s protecting students’ ability to get involved in school programs that foster an appreciation for nature and benefit their development.

"I hope Americans see the incredible outpouring of support for our student athletes," continued Green. "Life-changing opportunities come from participating in these programs – and our children are better because of it."

Beside the 424 members of Congress that voted for it, the bill was supported by: 

• 24 State Attorneys General  
• The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation
• The Council to Advance Hunting and the Shooting Sports
• The Boone and Crockett Club
• The National Shooting Sports Foundation
• Backcountry Hunters & Anglers
• The National Wildlife Federation
• National Archery in the Schools Program
• International Order of T. Roosevelt