Press Releases
The Republican Recap: Week of December 2, 2024
Washington,
December 6, 2024
Here’s a recap of what Republicans achieved on the House Floor this week:
Teaching the Truth About Communism in American Classrooms ✅ Communism and communist regimes across the globe have had dangerous and even deadly impacts on those subjected to live under them, suppressing political and personal freedom often through violence and persecution. Thanks to communism, over 100 million people worldwide have died and over 1.5 billion people have their human rights overlooked. While the United States remains the beacon of freedom and democracy around the world, a threat to American values is rising in our classrooms in K-12 schools. Similar to Confucius Institutes on college campuses, Confucius Classrooms allow the Chinese Communist Party to infiltrate American education and influence the development of our future generations. Right now, over 500 K-12 schools in the United States have Confucius Classrooms spreading CCP propaganda promoting communism and erasing the truth about communist regimes and the atrocities they have committed. Recently, we’ve seen a concerning shift in the opinions of younger generations: 28 percent of Gen Z have a favorable opinion of communism, compared to six percent of Boomers and three percent of the Silent Generation; 18 percent of Gen Z think communism is fairer than capitalism; and 19 percent believe dictatorship is the best political system, compared to three percent of the Silent Generation. We cannot continue to allow foreign adversaries to indoctrinate the future leaders of our nation. House Republicans passed legislation to counter malicious influence in our classrooms and tell the truth about communism to our youth. H.R. 5349, the Crucial Communism Teaching Act, sponsored by Rep. María Salazar, directs the the independent Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation to provide a civic education curriculum and educational materials for middle and high school students about the dangers of communism and totalitarianism, teaching how these systems are against American ideals and founding principles. “By passing my Crucial Communism Teaching Act, the House of Representatives will ensure future generations will remember the pain and suffering caused by the brutal communist ideology,” said Rep. María Elvira Salazar. “My community in Miami understands the evils of communism very well, and we must ensure all Americans are aware of the death and misery it has caused. Their stories and memories will now live on in the minds of our youth.” What Members Said: “Communism has led to the deaths of over 100 million victims worldwide.It has failed every time it's been tried, and sadly, polls today show that one in five millennials and one in three members of Gen Z have a positive viewpoint of communism. Wow, Mr. Speaker, that data is troubling. And solutions start with ensuring an accurate education,” said Rep. Tim Walberg.
Rep. Nicole Malliotakis celebrated the passage of H.R. 5349 and highlighted how important it is for American youth to understand how communism is a failed political system that only brings misery and depression to vulnerable societies.
 Protecting Small Businesses from the Administrative State ✅ The Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA) requires agencies creating a new rule or regulation to determine if that regulation will have an economic impact on small businesses, and if so, what that impact will be, what the alternatives are, and why it is justified. Additionally, the RFA allows small businesses a say in agency rulemaking by requiring agencies to notify the Small Business Administration’s Chief Counsel for Advocacy when the process begins, allowing them to comment on the rule. Despite the good intentions of the RFA to protect small businesses from burdensome and unnecessary regulations, small businesses continue to pay higher and higher costs due to rules coming from the administrative state: in 2014, small businesses spent about five times as much per employee as medium-sized businesses to comply with federal regulation, while today, small businesses pay seven times as much per employee as medium-sized businesses to comply. Unfortunately, many times, agencies ignore the RFA and disregard the impact their regulations will have on small businesses. The NFIB found the SBA concluded federal agencies turned a blind eye to costs of regulations on small businesses or underestimated their economic impact in 75 percent of rulemakings. Additionally, under the Biden-Harris Administration, federal agencies significantly increased the number of regulations impacting small businesses. Burdensome regulations make it harder to start a business and achieve the American dream. We must make sure the administrative state doesn’t harm American innovation, entrepreneurship, and competition. Rep. Brad Finstad’s legislation, H.R. 7198, the Prove It Act of 2024, requires greater transparency from agencies on regulatory decisions that affect small businesses and empowers small businesses to petition the SBA to review proposed regulations and their economic impact by amending the Regulatory Flexibility Act, strengthening American innovation and putting small businesses before burdensome regulations. “Too often, small businesses across America are saddled with unnecessary and burdensome, one-size-fits-all regulations that cost business owners trillions each year. My legislation, the Prove It Act, is a commonsense, bipartisan solution that creates a pathway for business owners to advocate for themselves in the regulatory process,” said Rep. Brad Finstad. “I am proud that my colleagues voted to pass the Prove It Act, protecting Main Streets everywhere from the harmful overregulation that hinders so many Americans from achieving the dream of starting and owning a business.” What Members Said: “Today, small businesses pay seven times more per employee than medium sized businesses to stay compliant with federal regulations, and they don't have the resources to keep pace with the ever growing burdens imposed by the heavy hand of the government. I'm amazed I'm hearing from the opposition words like delay and burden and uncertainty as it relates to the federal government – I'm more concerned with the delays, the burden, the uncertainty, and the inadequate resources that exist for small businesses to respond to these new regulations,” said Rep. Nathaniel Moran. “Federal agencies seem to ignore the reality and the harm that these regulations cause, which only further discourages American innovation and small business growth.” Rep. Scott Franklin emphasized that H.R. 7198 requires bureaucrats give business a voice in the regulatory process, fights inflation, addresses supply chain disruptions, and combats workforce shortages.
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