More than 160 House Dems vote against crackdown on foreign influence in US schools
In a recent legislative session, more than 160 House Democrats opposed two bills designed to curb foreign influence in U.S. schools, despite both bills passing with bipartisan support. The first bill, spearheaded by House GOP Policy Committee Chairman Kevin Hern, aims to prohibit federal funding for elementary and secondary schools that engage in programs or cultural exchanges with the Chinese government or receive support from entities linked to it. This bill was passed by a vote of 247 to 166, with 33 Democrats siding with Republicans. The second bill, led by Rep. Aaron Bean, mandates that public schools notify parents about their right to inquire about any foreign influence in their children’s education. This legislation also garnered bipartisan approval, passing 247 to 164, with 33 Democrats voting in favor.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries voiced strong opposition to the bills, emphasizing that the focus should remain on providing quality education rather than on political agendas aimed at dismantling public education. He criticized Republicans for what he termed an attack on public education, paralleling it with their stances on public health and safety. Jeffries articulated concerns that the bills lack clarity regarding the definition of “foreign influence” and questioned whether it would lead to unnecessary scrutiny of parental contributions to school programs, particularly targeting contributions from Chinese American families. His remarks reflect a broader Democratic sentiment that these bills could foster divisiveness rather than enhance educational integrity.
Republicans argue that these measures represent a necessary step to protect American education from malign foreign influences, particularly from countries like China. They assert that ensuring transparency and safeguarding the integrity of educational institutions is a commonsense approach. However, the debate in the House highlighted a significant partisan divide, with Democrats warning that the legislation could lead to a chilling effect on community engagement and parental involvement in schools. As the political landscape continues to evolve, the implications of these bills on educational policy and community dynamics remain to be seen, raising important questions about the balance between national security and the fundamental values of inclusivity and critical thinking in American education.
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More than 160 House Democrats voted against a pair of bills Thursday aimed at keeping foreign influence out of U.S. schools.
Both pieces of legislation passed with bipartisan support, though Democrats’ top ranks opposed each one.
“We just want to educate our children, focus on reading, writing and arithmetic, developing a holistic child, giving the ability to them to think critically,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., told Fox News Digital when asked about the pushback.
“We’re not going to be lectured by a group of Republicans who are dismantling the
Department of Education
in real-time. Literally 90% of the Department of Education as it existed last year is now gone.”
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He accused Republicans of “attacking public education just like they’re attacking public health and attacking public safety.”
One of the two bills
was led by House GOP Policy Committee Chairman Kevin Hern, R-Okla., and would block federal funds from elementary and secondary schools that have programs, cultural exchanges or other class-related activities that get dollars from the Chinese government.
It would also block federal funds from schools that either directly or indirectly get any kind of support from entities or people related to the Chinese government.
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That bill passed 247–166, with 33 Democrats in favor and 166 against.
The second piece of legislation, led by Rep. Aaron Bean, R-Fla., would require every
public elementary and secondary school
to notify parents that they have a right to request information about any “foreign influence” in their child’s school.
The notification would have to come via the school’s local education agency (LEA), bodies such as school boards that have administrative control over that and other schools in the area.
The second bill passed 247–164, with 33 Democrats in favor and 164 against.
Republicans argued these were commonsense bills aimed at keeping malign foreign influence out of U.S. schools.
But Democrats criticized both during
debate on the House floor
.
“The bill gives no guidance on what acting directly or indirectly on behalf of means, or how you are supposed to know and how a parent’s contribution to a school program should be evaluated,” Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Va., said. “And really, are you supposed to scrutinize all parents’ contributions or just those from parents of Chinese American students?”
