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Rep. Virginia Foxx (R) and Rep. Michelle Steel (R-CA) have introduced the Defending Education Transparency and Ending Rogue Regimes Engaging in Nefarious Transactions (DETERRENT) Act, which aims to address the influence of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) on American college campuses. The lawmakers co-authored an opinion piece in the Washington Times on October 18, highlighting the need for legislation to tackle CCP interference in higher education.
According to a fact-sheet from the House Committee on Education & the Workforce, a majority of American colleges and universities receive funding or donations from the CCP or CCP-related entities but fail to report it. The DETERRENT Act aims to close these reporting gaps and enhance transparency. Rep. Steel pointed out that this CCP influence often leads to "pushing propaganda" and "censoring free speech" on campuses.
The legislation would also address the dangers posed by foreign influence on multiple fronts. One example cited by Rep. Steel is the CCP-funded Confucius Institutes, which promote state-backed propaganda and suppress open expression. The Act would reduce the current reporting threshold for foreign gifts from $250,000 to $50,000 and hold non-compliant institutions accountable.
In their opinion piece, Reps Foxx and Steel emphasized the importance of protecting academic freedom and safeguarding research and intellectual property. They highlighted that universities have become battlegrounds for information warfare, with foreign gifts and contracts providing opportunities for adversaries to infiltrate and steal secrets.
The DETERRENT Act aims to enhance transparency for Congress, intelligence agencies, and the public. It seeks to address the loopholes in Section 117 of the Higher Education Act, which currently allows billions of dollars in foreign funds to flow into American campuses undetected. By reducing the reporting threshold and holding institutions accountable for non-compliance, the legislation intends to protect American education and students from malicious foreign influence.
Rep. Steel stated, "The DETERRENT Act is a crucial step towards transparency and protecting American education and students from malicious foreign influence." The lawmakers hope that their legislation will address the issue of CCP interference in American universities and ensure the integrity of higher education in the United States.
