Florida Rep. seeks to stop CCP from infiltrating American universities
'It is well documented that the [CCP] sees our higher education institutions as an opportunity for espionage,' Congressman W. Gregory Steube told Campus Reform.
The Florida Congressman’s amendment to the Higher Education Act of 1965 comes as an addition to recent scrutiny of the Biden administration by the Committee on Education & The Workforce.
Florida Congressman W. Gregory Steube recently introduced a bill amending “the Higher Education Act of 1965 to prohibit the award of Federal funds to institutions of higher education that employ instructors funded by the Chinese Communist Party.”
“It is well documented that the [CCP] sees our higher education institutions as an opportunity for espionage and a place to spread their communist propaganda, even going beyond Confucius Institutes and reaching university professors,” Steube said in a prepared statement provided to Campus Reform.
[RELATED: ANALYSIS: Biden Center scandal ignites interest in possible foreign influence at UPenn]
The statement continues, “While Florida has taken steps to curb this national security threat, Congress and the Biden Administration need to take decisive action to send a message to China that their communist mission is not welcome or acceptable in our education system.”
In a copy of the amendment obtained by Campus Reform, dubbed the “Protecting Higher Education from Foreign Threats Act,” a “CCP-funded instructor” is defined as “a professor, teacher, or any other individual” who either “provides instruction directly to the students of an institution of higher education” or “received funds, directly or indirectly, from the Chinese Communist Party while employed by such institution.”
As Rep. Steube alludes, the Biden administration has been accused by certain members of Congress of not taking the threat of Chinese influence in U.S. higher education seriously.
Campus Reform previously reported that the Biden administration dropped the investigation into Chinese funds donated to universities across the country, including the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Delaware, both of which have long-time relationships with the President of the United States.
After the Biden administration dropped investigations, self-reporting of foreign funds by universities plummeted.
“In fact, [Department of Education] records ‘showed that universities reported only a bit over $4 million in foreign gifts throughout part of 2021, compared with over $1.5 billion between July 2020 and January 2021,’” Campus Reform last reported.
The Florida Congressman’s amendment to the Higher Education Act of 1965 comes as an addition to recent scrutiny of the Biden administration by the Committee on Education & The Workforce.
[RELATED: WATCH: PROF GIORDANO on foreign investment in US academia]
Rep. Virginia Foxx, the Committee’s Chairwoman, recently sent letters to members of the Biden administration, putting them “on notice.”
The Biden administration, Foxx argued, failed to comply with Congressional oversight letters requesting “unredacted records of gifts from, contracts or agreements with, and restricted or conditional gifts from or contacts with foreign sources,” including the “Chinese government” and the “Communist Party of China.”
The Higher Education Act of 1965 was signed by President Lyndon Johnson for the purpose of providing financial assistance to colleges and universities to strengthen educational programs.
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