ICYMI:Congresswoman Tenney Applauds House Passage of the PROTECT Our Kids Act

Washington, D.C. — Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) voted to pass the Promoting Responsible Oversight To Eliminate Communist Teachings for Our Kids (PROTECT Our Kids) Act, legislation that ensures no federal education dollars will flow to elementary or secondary schools that partner with, receive materials from, or host programs backed, directly or indirectly, by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

 For years, the CCP has infiltrated American K–12 schools through programs such as Confucius Classrooms, 164 of which have been documented nationwide, with 9 in New York State. This includes Confucius Classrooms at Buffalo City Schools, Oneida-Herkimer-Madison BOCES, and Syracuse Junior High School.  

The CCP uses Confucius Classrooms to shape curriculum, influence young students, and sanitize Beijing’s human rights abuses. The PROTECT Our Kids Act blocks this hostile influence by prohibiting federal funds from reaching any school that accepts CCP-linked programming, teaching materials, personnel, or financial support, and requires the Department of Education to notify schools and provide compliance guidance. This measure is part of Rep. Tenney’s broader effort to counter China’s malign activities, protect American families from foreign propaganda, and advance an America First national security strategy that keeps our children and our country safe.

“Parents deserve to know that their children are being taught American values, not the propaganda of a hostile foreign regime,” said Congresswoman Tenney. “For too long, the Chinese Communist Party has used our own education system, including in Western and Central New York, as a Trojan horse to spread censorship, rewrite history, and manipulate the next generation. As a member of the Intelligence Committee, I will not allow the CCP to access our classrooms or influence our children. The PROTECT Our Kids Act is a critical step in our broader America First strategy to counter China, defend our national security, and ensure that every tax dollar supports freedom, not foreign adversaries. I will continue to stand with parents, teachers, and families to keep CCP influence out of American schools once and for all.”

###