Congressman Bean Issues Statement in Response to Bombshell Report Uncovering Millions in Chinese Donations to K-12 Schools

WASHINGTON—U.S. Congressman Aaron Bean (FL-04), Chair of the Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education Subcommittee, released the following statement today. It comes in response toParents Defending Education’s (PDE) report exposing how millions of dollars linked to the Chinese Communist Party have been used to fund and establish programs in K-12 school districts across the nation.

The report found that 155 elementary and secondary schools, most notably 20 near U.S. military bases, have been compromised by the infiltration of CCP connected funds and programming.

“The Chinese Communist Party is a serious, complex threat to our democratic republic and our very way of life. Americans deserve to know whether their schools are being purchased and manipulated by this rogue regime that seeks to undermine our democracy.

This report is all about transparency. I applaud the PDE for shining a light on where Beijing is peddling its influence within the halls of the very institutions that are tasked with shaping the minds and hearts of America’s future leaders. I will continue to support tough-on-China policies and put Americans first, including in the classroom,” said Congressman Bean.

Holding China Accountable
As a member of the Education and Workforce Committee, Congressman Bean has been a strong supporter of investigating whether colleges and universities are complying with reporting foreign gifts and contracts under Section 117 of the Higher Education Act.

In April, Congressman Bean sent a letter to Department of Education Secretary Cardona requesting transparency in foreign funding to colleges.

Additionally, he led his colleagues in a Special Order Hour to highlight the mounting threat of China’s espionage operations and intellectual property theft inside America’s higher education institutions.

Read the full report HERE.

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