E&W Blog

Today, the Education and Workforce Committee held a hearing to examine the rising threats of foreign espionage on college campuses. 

Chairman Tim Walberg (R-MI) started the hearing by spotlighting recent cases of these crimes. 

"Last summer there were multiple disturbing instances of potential foreign espionage on U.S. campuses. At the University of Michigan students, employees, and faculty have been charged and sentenced for conspiracy and smuggling related crimes. At Stanford, students were approached by foreign nationals posing as peers in an effort to get students to travel to China and share research," he said. 

Rep. Rick Allen (R-GA) discussed with Dr. Domenico Grasso, Interim President at the University of Michiganseveral trainings that are deemed optional by their university but could play a role in research security. "I will actually take your comment back to our team in Ann Arbor. [We will] look at those other modules that are labelled as optional and we will look to see if we can make those required," Grasso said. 

Rep. Randy Fine (R-FL) asked Ms. Cassandra Farley, Senior Director of Research Integrity, Security & Compliance at the University of Florida how state laws like what’s been passed in Florida are impacting universities. "At the times that the laws were passed we implemented a task force of senior leaders across the institution…[it] has since grown and evolved to implement the new requirements that were passed in 2023…we’ve done significant outreach and training across campus to help our campus partners, researchers, and facility understand the importance of these issues," she explained. 

Rep. Michael Baumgartner (R-WA) highlighted his bill, the Defending Education Transparency and Ending Rogue Regimes Engaging in Nefarious Transactions (DETERRENT) Act–House passed legislation which would mitigate these threats by increasing reporting requirements. Dr. Grasso claimed his university was committed to transparency of funding but refused to provide verbal support for legislation. The University of Michigan receives over $1.17 billion in federal funds. 

House Democrats spent the hearing pulling the wool over the eyes of the American people. 

"I just have to ask what problem are we actually trying to solve today? Why are we here? Where is the evidence that American universities are under siege by foreign espionage at a scale that justifies this level of alarm?" said Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-FL).

This is exactly the type of ignorance that has made our nation vulnerable to security threats. 

One witness explained her frightening experience with being targeted by the Chinese Communist Party.

"This past fall, the FBI informed me that I am being physically monitored on Stanford’s campus by agents of the Chinese Communist Party. They told me that my family is also at risk and is being monitored…I fear for my safety and for my family’s safety. The intimidation calls have not stopped," said Ms. Elsa Johnson, Editor-in-Chief at Stanford Review. 

In 2018, then FBI Director Christopher Wray had said that his agents across the country are seeing "non-traditional collectors (of intelligence), especially in the academic setting."

Bottom line: America’s foreign adversaries are targeting our nation’s students. Committee Republicans are fighting back—protecting national security, demanding transparency, and holding institutions accountable.