Congressman John Moolenaar Chairman of the Select Committee on the CCP | Official U.S. House headshot
Congressman John Moolenaar Chairman of the Select Committee on the CCP | Official U.S. House headshot
Chairman John Moolenaar from Michigan, who leads the House Select Committee on China, expressed his approval following the passage of the DETERRENT Act, aimed at addressing concerns over foreign influence in U.S. academic institutions.
Moolenaar stated, “Today, we are taking a critical stand against the Chinese Communist Party’s efforts to infiltrate and influence our academic institutions. The passage of the DETERRENT Act is a powerful response to China’s aggressive attempts to use financial leverage to undermine our universities and national security.” He emphasized the necessity of this legislation in promoting transparency and accountability for dealings with foreign adversaries, highlighting the importance of maintaining academic integrity.
The legislation was spurred by investigations revealing nearly $40 million in unreported research contracts between prominent U.S. universities and entities linked to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its military. The findings have heightened concerns over how foreign adversaries might access sensitive research and affect U.S. national security.
Moolenaar noted the risk posed by foreign funding in education, stating, "This is a victory in the fight to protect our education system from CCP influence."
The DETERRENT Act is a bipartisan initiative aimed at curbing the growing threat posed by foreign influence. It seeks to bolster the reporting requirements for foreign donations and contracts with U.S. academic institutions, addressing the deficiencies in the current law under Section 117 of the Higher Education Act, which is considered vague and poorly enforced.
By changing the thresholds for mandatory reporting of foreign gifts and contracts — reducing it to $50,000 and to $0 for specific countries like China — the Act aims to enhance transparency and penalize academic institutions that fail to comply with the law. Sanctions include fines and possibly losing federal funding.
The passage of the DETERRENT Act is seen as a crucial measure for safeguarding U.S. students, research, and educational institutions from concealed foreign influences.
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