Representatives Marjorie Taylor Greene and Alex Mooney have joined the chorus of Republican lawmakers railing against the decision to stop publishing several Dr. Seuss books.
Dr. Seuss Enterprises issued a statement on Tuesday saying six of the late author’s titles would no longer be reprinted.
“These books portray people in ways that are hurtful and wrong,” the statement read.
The decision—announced on Read Across America Day on March 2, which was also the birthday of Theodor Seuss Geisel—has been questioned by several Republican lawmakers.
“I would never cancel the author of Cat in the Hat.
“Nope, I would never do that.”
The poem concluded: “Woke progressives want cancel culture, they’re just a bunch of nasty vultures.”
Mooney, a congressman from West Virginia, also railed against “cancel culture” in remarks on the House floor on Wednesday.
“Let’s not attempt to steal knowledge of our nation’s history from our children, like the Grinch attempted to steal Christmas,” he said, referring another Dr. Seuss character.
He said the six books were being discontinued “in this fear of cancel culture.”
“We should all respect and honor Dr. Seuss, and forget this cancel culture nonsense,” he concluded.
The six titles are And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, If I Ran the Zoo, McElligot’s Pool, On Beyond Zebra!, Scrambled Eggs Super!, and The Cat’s Quizzer.
“Ceasing sales of these books is only part of our commitment and our broader plan to ensure Dr. Seuss Enterprises’ catalog represents and supports all communities and families,” the company said.
Dr. Seuss Enterprises added that the move followed a review of its catalog of titles, conducted “with a panel of experts, including educators.” The decision was made last year, it said.
Since the announcement, the six books have appeared on resale websites with boosted prices. On Wednesday, nine of Dr. Seuss’ other titles were in the top 10 bestsellers on Amazon.
The publisher’s decision has been welcomed by some. Late-night host Stephen Colbert said on Tuesday: “They recognize the impact these images might have on readers, especially kids, and they’re trying to fix it because Dr. Seuss books should be fun for all people—Black, white, straight, gay, Sneetches both star-bellied and plain, Loraxes, Barb-a-loots, all the Whos down in Whoville and the strange, angry creature called Foo Foo the Snoo.”
Newsweek has contacted the lawmakers mentioned and has also attempted to reach Dr. Seuss Enterprises for comment.