House Education and Workforce Committee Chairman Tim Walberg, Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee Chairman Bill Cassidy, House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party Chairman John Moolenaar, and Senator Jim Banks raised concerns on May 15 following a new U.S. Department of Education report that details attempts by foreign entities aligned with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and other adversaries to influence American universities.
The lawmakers said in their letter: “As you know, American universities conduct highly sensitive, critical research with direct military applications. Therefore, it is very alarming that countries of concern could be gaining access to research with national security implications at your institution by way of gifts and donations.”
They continued: “To ensure the safety of the American people and uphold U.S. national security interests, sensitive research and technology must stay out of the hands of our adversaries.” According to the Department of Education’s new foreign funding portal, 34 institutions have received over $183 million from foreign entities with ties to countries considered adversaries by the United States, including the CCP. Previous reports have described how partnerships between these entities and U.S. academic institutions have led to thefts of sensitive military research and intellectual property. In one case cited in their statement, a collaboration between a U.S.-based professor and a Chinese institution was credited by China’s Academy of Engineering for advancing defense technologies.
Walberg has led House passage of legislation known as the DETERRENT Act aimed at increasing transparency regarding foreign gifts or contracts at colleges or universities. He has also directed committee oversight toward examining how financial relationships can be used by foreign adversaries such as the CCP to undermine academic integrity or promote anti-American interests on campuses.
The lawmakers are seeking information from several institutions named in their request letter: Bryant University; University of Texas at Arlington; University of Arizona; Georgia Institute of Technology; University of California, Berkeley; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Portland State University; University of Minnesota Twin Cities; and University of California, Irvine.
The House Education and Workforce Committee manages federal programs concerning education, labor health initiatives as well as workforce development according to its official website. The committee also influences policy on issues such as student loans or worker protections while serving in legislative matters related to education or labor.
