Press Releases

WASHINGTON – Education and the Workforce Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) today celebrated the U.S. House of Representatives' passage of the Crucial Communism Teaching Act with a bipartisan vote of 327 to 62.
 
H.R. 5349, authored by Rep. Maria Salazar (R-FL), makes optional educational materials available through the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation to help educate high school students about the dangers of communism and totalitarianism and how those systems are contrary to the founding principles of freedom and democracy in the United States.
 
“It’s not a radical idea to say that American values should be taught in American schools. But at a time when nearly a third of Gen Z are in favor of communism, it’s clear that we’re falling short when it comes to educating young people about the history and dangers of that ideology,” said Chairwoman Foxx. “The Crucial Communism Teaching Act is an important step in making sure that the future leaders of our great nation have the tools and knowledge to protect capitalism and freedom for the next generation. I’m grateful to Congresswoman Salazar for lending her first-hand experience and leadership to this vital effort.”  
 
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) also applauded the House’s adoption of the bill: “Communism has a long, dark history of political suppression, persecution, and violence. Unfortunately, the realities of communism are often overlooked or downplayed in our educational system, allowing malign foreign actors to push their agendas and influence American institutions. As we face growing challenges from adversaries like the Chinese Communist Party, the Crucial Communism Teaching Act takes a stand against this dangerous trend. It is more important than ever that our students are taught the true dangers of communism and the importance of safeguarding our freedoms. I appreciate Congresswoman Salazar for her leadership and ensuring that the future of our country’s education system is rooted in the lessons of history and the preservation of our values.”
 
BACKGROUND:

• The Crucial Communism Teaching Act was passed by the Education and the Workforce Committee on September 14, 2023, with an overwhelming bipartisan vote of 33 to 9.
• Communism has a long, dark history of political suppression, persecution, and violence that is being swept under the rug by malign foreign actors infiltrating American education institutions.
  • For example, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is using Confucius Classrooms, the K-12 equivalent of the CCP’s Confucius Institutes on college campuses, to disseminate propaganda in American schools and cover up the atrocities of past communist regimes.
  • Over 500 K-12 schools across the United States have allowed the CCP to establish itself in their halls under the guise of Confucius Classrooms—which have been especially concentrated close to U.S. military bases.
  • As one member of the CCP Politburo put it, Confucius Institutes are a “part of China’s foreign propaganda strategy.”
• Support for communism should have no place in American schools. Unfortunately, troubling statistics show:
  • 28 percent of Gen Z hold a favorable opinion of the term “communism” compared to just 6 and 3 percent for Boomers and the Silent Generation;
  • 18 percent of Gen Z thinks communism is a fairer system than capitalism and deserves consideration in America; and
  • 19 percent of Gen Z believe that dictatorship is the best political system, compared to only 3 percent of the Silent Generation.