Submitted by United States Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana
MADISONVILLE, LA (December 6, 2024) – The House of Representatives today passed companion legislation to Sen. John Kennedy’s (R-La.) Crucial Communism Teaching Act. The bill would help educate students about the history and dangers of communism, and it now moves to the Senate for consideration.
More than 100 million people have died throughout history as a result of communist rule. Today, 1.5 billion people still suffer under communism.
“Communist leaders have taken the liberties and stolen the lives of millions of people around the world. The Senate should follow our colleagues in the House by passing the Crucial Communism Teaching Act so that young Americans really understand the threat that Marxist leadership poses to freedom,” said Kennedy.
Rep. Maria Salazar (R-Fla.) introduced the Crucial Communism Teaching Act in the House.
“By passing my Crucial Communism Teaching Act, the House of Representatives will ensure future generations will remember the pain and suffering caused by the brutal communist ideology. My community in Miami is no stranger to the evils of communism, and we must ensure all Americans are aware of the death and misery it has caused. Their stories and memories will now live on in the minds of our youth,” said Salazar.
A poll by the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation shows that most young adults lack understanding of the significance and history of communism. The same poll showed that one in five Millennials, as well as one in three members of Gen Z, views communism favorably.
The Crucial Communism Teaching Act would make educational materials available through the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation to teach high school students about the dangers of communism and totalitarianism. The bill would also require high schools to teach students the history of communism and how this ideology undermines America’s founding principles of freedom and democracy.
Text of the Crucial Communism Teaching Act is available here.
