California Rep. Michelle Steel is expressing concerns about the influence of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in American classrooms. Steel's remarks came after a recent hearing titled "Academic Freedom Under Attack: Loosening the CCP's Grip on America's Classrooms." In her statement, she highlighted her family's personal experience with fleeing Communism in North Korea and emphasized the need to prevent Communism from infiltrating schools.
The hearing was prompted by a study released by Parents Defending Education (PDE) in July. The report presented evidence of "Confucius Classrooms," also known as "Little Red Classrooms," which are funded and controlled by the CCP. According to PDE, there are currently 13 Confucius Institutes operating in states such as Minnesota, Kentucky, Oregon, Texas, Oklahoma, and Washington. However, 108 institutes have either closed or are in the process of shutting down.
These Confucius Classrooms purportedly focus on promoting Chinese language and culture. There are concerns about the potential national security risks associated with these classrooms, especially those located near U.S. military bases.
PDE's affiliated organization, PDE Action, forwarded the findings of the report to several members of Congress, including Rep. Virginia Foxx, Rep. Mike Rogers, and Rep. Mike McCaul. They also sent similar letters to 33 governors. The report uncovered a total of $17,967,565 in funding across 143 U.S. school districts, including 20 in close proximity to U.S. military bases, all of which have ties to the CCP.
Rep. Steel emphasized that opposing Confucius Institutes and Confucius classrooms is not about racism but about countering CCP propaganda. She stated, "Confucius classrooms have no place in the United States. Confucius classrooms are CCP's propaganda, this has nothing to do with Asian Americans and this has nothing to do with Chinese people."
In a separate development, Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York, along with Rep. Dave Joyce of Ohio and Rep. Ed Case of Hawaii, introduced the "Combatting the Lies of Authoritarians in School Systems (CLASS) Act." This legislation aims to combat CCP or People's Republic of China influence in U.S. classrooms. According to a press release, Stefanik highlighted the significant funding that Chinese-linked financial institutions provide to American school systems, including $375,575 in New York alone.
The goal of the CLASS Act is to ensure that American students are not exposed to Chinese Communist Party propaganda and to prevent Communist China from gaining access to U.S. classrooms and students.
