Owens Champions Civics in the Classroom

WASHINGTON — Higher Education and Workforce Development Subcommittee Chair Burgess Owens (UT-04) helped pass H.R. 5349, legislation to make educational materials available through the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation. These materials will help educate middle and high school students about the dangers of communism and totalitarianism, and how they are contrary to the founding principles of freedom and democracy in the United States.

“Communism is more than just a failed ideology—it is a destructive force that stole over 100 million lives and crushed the dreams of billions. And yet, 28% of Generation Z views it favorably,” said Rep. Owens. “That’s not just troubling; it’s a wake-up call. The Crucial Communism Teaching Act gives America’s students the hard truths about communism’s atrocities, exposing how the promises of equity under totalitarian regimes always end in oppression and misery. If we want to preserve America as the last, best hope of liberty, we must equip the next generation with the courage and knowledge to defend it.”

Background:

Communism’s tragic legacy has claimed the lives of over 100 million people. Yet, due to a lack of accurate educational resources, nearly one-third of Generation Z holds a favorable view of communism. The CCT Act draws inspiration from the Never Again Education Act, passed by Congress in 2020, which established a program to educate American students about the Holocaust through the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. 

The full text of the legislation is available here.

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