may not have been surprising to them because they wanted something. the ultimate goal was something else and that was to be statehood. >> roberta is calling in from houston, texas. >> i'm retired history teacher in texas and two points to make, dr. gordon reed. one, and you kind of evaded the issue, but critical race theory is going to be coming up this month in state legislature and they want to forbid it. i think that you should put on your joan of arc armor and come to austin and speak about the issue. now, here would be a stumbling block and you kind of glossed over it-- >> we're going to break to fulfill our 40-plus year commitment to congressional coverage, we'll return momentarily. live for a pro forma session with new votes scheduled.

you're watching c-span2. the presiding officer: the senate will come to order. the clerk will read a communication to the senate. the clerk: washington, d.c., august 13, 2021. to the senate: under the provisions of rule 1, paragraph 3, of the standing rules of the senate, i hereby appoint the honorable chris van hollen, a senator from the state of maryland, to perform the duties of the chair. signed: patrick j. leahy, president pro tempore. the presiding officer: under the previous order, the senate stands adjourned until 9:30 a.m. on tuesday, august 17, 2021.

senators return for legislative work at 3 a.m. eastern for more work on executive nominations. later in the week, majority leader schumer scheduled time for voting rights and election reform legislation. watch the senate live here on c-span2. now we return to our book tv program already in progress. >> you know, not reading the constitution, but there are ways to write anything, you know? i mean, and i have seen good books for young people, kids, that i'm talking about now, certainly through elementary school, middle school and natalie has done a book about thomas jefferson that talks about all of this in an age appropriate way, so kids, i think there's a way to do it, as for coming down there to talk about it, there are plenty

of people in texas who can hold down the fort on that matter. i do know that people have gotten very, very aggressive about this, but this is for the citizens of texas to stand up and -- stand up against censorship and stand up the idea that you can't talk about the truth. and i am of a mind that kids are more understanding than we think they are, but i have seen so many examples about writh about these issues, about race and slavery in children's books, to think that it's not-- i mean, i think it's not the case that you can't -- that there are not ways to bring these subjects to the fore, in a sensitive and a reasonable way for young kids. >> another text for you, no city or name. is renaming a school from jefferson middle school, like so many in the