Crucial Communism Teaching Act
Floor Speech
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Mr. OWENS. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1602, I call up the bill (H.R. 5349) to develop and disseminate a civic education curriculum and oral history resources regarding certain political ideologies, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
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Mr. OWENS. 5349.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5349, the Crucial Communism Teaching Act authored by Representative Salazar from Florida.
Communism is a cancerous ideology that has a long, dark history of political suppression, persecution, and violence. There is no question about that.
This ideology has led to the deaths of over 100 million men, women, and children worldwide, and it tramples the human rights of 1.5 billion people across the globe.
If you think this is a thing of the past, think again. The Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation put it this way: ``The Berlin Wall fell in 1989, but communism didn't. One hundred years after the Bolshevik Revolution, one-fifth of the world's population still lives under single-party communist regimes in China, Cuba, Laos, North Korea, and Vietnam.''
The freedom we enjoy is a threat to these communist regimes, and they benefit when their atrocities are covered up.
It is no surprise that malign foreign actors are infiltrating American educational institutions to spew propaganda and keep the horrors of communism buried.
For example, the Chinese Communist Party, the CCP, is using Confucius Classrooms under the guise of cultural exchange centers to undermine the principles upon which this Nation is built.
They are explicitly organized by the CCP to project soft power on American students. The strategy is straight out of the Soviet playbook. In 1960, the USSR established the Peoples' Friendship University as a cultural and literary exchange program to indoctrinate students in developing countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
This blatant attempt to inject foreign ideologies into schools undermines the fundamental purpose of American education. It goes without saying that we should be teaching American values in American schools.
Make no mistake, every dollar that flows into American classrooms from the CCP comes with strings attached, and the most important string is the requirement that instructors censor themselves to appease Beijing.
The censorship stifles academic freedom, which is a cornerstone of the American educational system. Academic freedom encourages open dialogue, the free exchange of ideas, and the pursuit of knowledge without fear of reprisal.
Confucius Classrooms, however, undermine these principles by fostering an environment where educators are pressured to align with the CCP's agenda, stifling critical thinking and true intellectual exploration.
Yet, 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 has been especially concentrated close to military bases.
To make matters worse, currently, 28 percent of Gen Zers hold a favorable opinion of the term ``communism,'' and 18 percent of Gen Zers think communism is a fairer system than capitalism and deserves consideration in America.
These disturbing statistics make it clear that we are in a war of ideas. President Reagan's quote is even more prescient: Freedom ``is never more than one generation away from extinction.''
We celebrate accountability, free markets, human rights, and good governance, while communism seeks to subvert these ideas. We must protect and nurture our own democratic values for them to continue to thrive.
This a serious problem that must be confronted, and the Crucial Communism Teaching Act is the answer.
This legislation will offer States and local school districts optional educational materials with which they can educate high school students about the dangers of communism and how these systems are contrary to the founding principles of freedom in the United States.
This is all about preserving those founding principles, safeguarding the freedoms that have always defined this great Republic throughout its history, and educating this Nation's future leaders about the true nature of this caustic ideology that is communism.
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Mr. OWENS. Salazar), who is the bill's sponsor.
Mr. Speaker, first of all, let me thank my colleague from Florida for her remarks.
We can do a lot of good things in our country, including closing the border and taking care of inflation. If we do not teach our young people the danger of communism, then we will rot from within.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Ms. Salazar for her leadership.
Communism's long, dark history of political suppression, persecution, and violence is established fact. As I mentioned at the start, communism has led to the deaths of over 100 million victims worldwide and currently tramples the human rights 1.5 billion people across the globe.
It is troubling that so many Gen Zers have no problem with communism or even embrace it. This is the result of at least two factors: the lack of accurate educational materials in U.S. schools and malign foreign actors who successfully push their propaganda.
The good news is that Republicans have a solution that has bipartisan support. H.R. 5349, the Crucial Communism Teaching Act, will support State and local efforts to educate high school students about the dangers of communism and how those systems are contrary to the founding principles of freedom in the United States.
Communist influence and infiltration in schools is real. Students need accurate information about how dangerous these ideologies are. By passing this bill, Congress can send a message that it stands against hate, indoctrination, and radicalization of America's next generation of leaders.
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Mr. OWENS. Mr. Speaker, I claim the time in opposition to the amendment, even though I am not opposed to it.
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Mr. OWENS. As mentioned, this amendment would ensure that optional learning resources developed by the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation are periodically updated, with a special focus on China's human rights abuses and aggression against democratic nations.
The Chinese Communist Party has egregiously and repeatedly violated human rights. They have persecuted Muslim minorities, displayed aggression toward Taiwan, and cracked down on peaceful pro-democracy protesters. In Chinese schools, they are indoctrinating students to ignore or dismiss these human rights abuses.
They are not content to only brainwash their own students. They are also attempting to indoctrinate American students, as I mentioned in my opening statement.
American students need to know about Communism and especially the evils of the Chinese Communist Party. The Gottheimer amendment would ensure that these optional resources fully include information about China's abuses so students can get a full version of history.
Mr. Speaker, I support the gentleman's amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.
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