Crucial Communism Teaching Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me time.

Mr. Speaker, I am just becoming acquainted with the amendment and the legislation now, but it seems to me it is a very good idea to educate people on the dangers and the perils of Communist totalitarianism, as well as other kinds of totalitarianism, such as Nazi and Fascist totalitarianism, the forces we defeated in the last century.

Obviously, there are a lot of Americans who need a primer on the dangers of Communist totalitarianism, such as the President-elect, who still seems to have a love affair with Kim Jong-un, the last remaining Communist dictator on Earth, who is a major threat to the human rights of people who live in North Korea.

Vladimir Putin, the former head of the KGB, who described the collapse of the Soviet Union as the worst catastrophe of the 20th century, remains a severe threat to democracy and freedom all over the world.

Along with the distinguished chairman of the committee, I am sorry that there is not an explicit recognition of Nazism and fascism here, but there is no problem with educating people about the dangers of Communist totalitarianism because there are so many people, including the President-elect, who seem not to remember the dangers of Communist totalitarianism and what people like Vladimir Putin did under Soviet Communism and the threat that continues to be posed.

Mr. Speaker, I think the amendment makes good sense to identify the Chinese Government's violent mistreatment of the Uyghurs, of people in Tibet, and continuing human rights violations that are taking place.

This means we shouldn't be making alliances with Communist and totalitarian oligarchs all over the world. We should be criticizing them and challenging them for the violations of human rights of people who live under their empire.

America should not be aligned with the oligarchs and the Fascists and the Stalinist Communists all over the world. We should be aligned with the democratic movements, people who are struggling for freedom and human rights.

I am sorry that this was written in such a partial way, but it at least gets at part of the problem, and I hope it will be a real education to the incoming administration, as well as to young people, about the dangers of people like Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un, Communists who have undermined human rights and freedom in our time.

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