Press Releases

In Case You Missed It, Education and the Workforce Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) and Rep. Michelle Steel (R-CA) penned an op-ed for the Washington Times about the Committee’s effort to combat malign foreign influence on college campuses.
 
Foreign dollars come with strings attached. These donations can allow our enemies to infiltrate America’s campuses and subvert our nation’s interests. While the Biden administration fails to act on this serious threat, the Committee is working to protect America’s colleges and universities. The newly introduced Defending Education Transparency and Ending Rogue Regimes Engaging in Nefarious Transactions (DETERRENT) Act brings much-needed transparency, accountability, and clarity to foreign gift reporting requirements for colleges and universities across the nation.



Deterring America’s enemies from exploiting U.S. education system
 
By: Reps. Virginia Foxx and Michelle Steel
October 18, 2023
 
Reports have found adversaries target academia with large donations and contracts in hopes of increased access and political influence. Foreign adversaries have exposed America’s three main vulnerabilities: (1) loose legislative language, (2) Mr. Biden’s blatant crippling of enforcement and (3) institutions’ refusal to adhere to the law has prevented donations from being reported with basic transparency and accountability.
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After the Senate revealed 70 percent of colleges fail to report gifts from the CCP and the Trump administration uncovered over $6.5 billion in previously undisclosed foreign money, the Biden administration still has failed to launch a single new Section 117 investigation. The problem of foreign influence is happening as we speak.
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If the president won’t take the threat of foreign influence seriously — and the evidence overwhelmingly suggests he won’t — Congress will. The DETERRENT Act contains three main pillars — transparency, accountability and clarity — that will work together to improve foreign gift reporting.
 
Among other provisions, the transparency pillar lowers the reporting bar from $250,000 to $50,000 for most countries and to $0 for our adversaries such as China, Russia, Iran and North Korea. It also makes sure institutions justify to the American people why they accept these foreign funds, including reporting the source of the gifts and the intended use by the school.
 
Furthermore, it requires transparency in the endowments of our wealthiest schools by requiring them to disclose their financial ties with China and other countries or businesses that work against the American people.
 
The accountability pillar makes clear that illicit foreign funds aren’t worth the cost. The DETERRENT Act ramps up fines for noncompliant institutions. For serious and repeat offenders, it revokes Title IV funding.
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With these components, the DETERRENT Act would deter bad foreign actors from exploiting the openness of the American education system without restricting partnerships with our allies. Striking this balance is key.
 
Read the full op-ed HERE.