President Biden Signs Into Law Cruz Measure Barring JROTC Programs at Schools Linked to the Chinese Communist Party

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) issued the following statement after President Biden signed into law the Deterring Egregious State Infiltration of Schools’ Training (DESIST) Act, which was included in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2024. The bill prohibits the Department of Defense (DOD) from establishing or maintaining Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) programs at any private school operated or controlled by entities linked to the People’s Republic of China (PRC), Chinese Communist Party (CCP), or the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).

Following passage, Sen. Cruz said, “The Chinese Communist Party uses censorship and propaganda to with the goal of controlling what Americans see, hear, and ultimately think. The CCP has broadly sought to infiltrate American schools, including high schools and upper education. I have fought against that influence for years, including ensuring that Confucius Institutes were denied DOD funds and closed. The DESIST Act will further protect our students.”

Background

In addition to securing passage of the DESIST Act, Sen. Cruz also secured four other bipartisan victories in this year’s NDAA. He facilitated the passage of a provision to streamline the presidential permitting process for building four bridges across the Rio Grande in Brownsville, Laredo, and Eagle Pass, Texas. These bridges will boost the Texas and U.S. economy by billions.