Education and the Workforce Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) issued the following statement on House passage of the National Defense Authorization Act:
“Our adversaries will stop at nothing to undermine our national interests, so ensuring the nation’s military is prepared to combat new and serious threats is paramount. At the Education and the Workforce Committee, we know the modern battleground now includes K-12 schools, university campuses, and our students’ young minds. Malign foreign actors are actively using our education system to peddle propaganda, advance antisemitism, and undermine the freedom of this great Republic.
“I am pleased to join my colleagues in passing this through the House. Doing so will give our nation’s armed forces the tools to keep America safe.”
BACKGROUND
NDAA provisions that fall under the jurisdiction of the Education and the Workforce Committee include:
Prohibits funding for teaching critical race theory in the military, including at service academies and DOD schools;
Ensures military recruiters have the same access to secondary schools that other employers receive to help build a lethal fighting force;
Reduces bottlenecks so teacher retention and recruitment are improved for DOD schools;
Stops universities and researchers from receiving DOD research funds if they work with certain Chinese Communist Party academic institutions;
Requires DODEA schools notify parents when their student does not achieve reading proficiency by third grade;
Creates a “Boots to Business” program to give retiring servicemembers education about entrepreneurship; and
Provides parents with more choices by allowing DOD children who live off the military base to enroll in DODEA schools, space permitting.
