Education bill on communism history moves forward in US Congress

The U.S. House of Representatives on Dec. 7 approved legislation to enhance the study of communism in educational programs. The Crucial Communism Teaching Act was passed with 327 votes in favor and 62 votes against, according to Voice of America.

Initiated by Maria Elvira, a Floridian lawmaker in the Republican Party, the bill was  co-sponsored by 33 fellow House members of the party and its first passage was hailed by Ukrainian Ambassador to the U.S. Oksana Markarova. 

The teaching act envisages addressing gaps in U.S. education regarding the history of communism. Its proponents argue that filling those gaps is necessary since communism directly contradicts the American principles of freedom and democracy. 

The initiative seeks to educate families, communities, and educational institutions, particularly middle schools, about political ideologies, focusing on communism.

“Twenty percent of American youth think communism is a better system than capitalism,” said Rep. Danny Burgess from Florida. 

“Communism is one of the most destructive political ideologies the world has ever seen,” said Elvira, a daughter of Cuban immigrants, who introduced the bill. 

She introduced the bill in September 2021, but it was not brought to a vote until now. The initiative seeks to educate American students that “communism has led to the deaths of over 100,000,000 victims worldwide,” and that “1,500,000,000 people still suffer under communism.”

Markarova welcomed the bill’s passage, stressing that it raises awareness about the crimes of communism, especially in Russia, where the communist past remains uncondemned, and the crimes continue to be glorified by the state. 

“This legislative step is important in raising awareness among the American public, particularly the youth, about the hateful nature of communist ideology, which, among other things, led to the Holodomor of 1932–1933, political repression, mass killings, deportations, and other crimes, and the death of millions of Ukrainians,” Markarova said.

She also added that Russia continues to be an “empire of evil,” and “we are now fighting a new totalitarianism, not only for our own freedom.”