By Elise Winland
Published December 5, 2025

              The House approved legislation Dec. 4 to bar federal funding from any K-12 school that receives money from the People’s Republic of China (PRC), as lawmakers sharpen scrutiny of Beijing’s attempts to influence American education.

              The measure, the PROTECT Our Kids Act (HR 1069), passed by a vote of 247-164, with all 164 opposing votes coming from Democrats.

              Republican Rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey, a Catholic, said the bill, which was introduced by Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Okla., is needed to counter the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) “pervasive and insidious influence” in U.S. classrooms. He argued the measure would help shield students from CCP propaganda and bolster national security.

              “The PROTECT Our Kids Act is a vital tool for helping to stop the spread of the PRC’s lies about communism and the operations of the Chinese government, as well as promote the importance of protecting national security interests in America’s schools,” Smith said. “This legislation helps ensure that American students can no longer be misled and misinformed by foreign governments, such as the PRC, about the empty promises of communism.”

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              The House also advanced a related bill Dec. 3. Rep. David Joyce, R-Ohio, introduced the Combatting the Lies of Authoritarians in School Systems Act, which passed with 242 votes. 

              Joyce’s bill would bar federally funded schools from accepting money or contracts from the Chinese government or its affiliates and would require schools to disclose any foreign funding to the Department of Education. He said the legislation responds to China’s expanding attempts to shape American classrooms.

              “The CCP’s attempts to shape narratives in our classrooms threaten the fairness and independence of American education,” he said. “Given China’s growing influence in education worldwide, taking commonsense steps to protect our children and safeguard the integrity of our school systems is essential.” 

              The legislation comes amid heightened concern over what Smith has called the CCP’s “war on religion.” Earlier this year, Beijing detained about 30 leaders of the underground Zion Church, including well-known pastor Mingri “Ezra” Jin, whose family holds U.S. citizenship. Catholic dissident Jimmy Lai has similarly spent nearly five years in a Hong Kong prison and still awaits sentencing. 

              A recent report from the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom found that China continues to imprison Christians, impose ideological indoctrination, and restrict worship. Despite widespread pushback, Beijing has defended its crackdown on religion.


This article was published on December 5, 2025 and can be found online at: https://catholicvote.org/house-passes-bill-to-prevent-chinas-communist-teachings-in-american-schools/