High Country Times

Representative Michael Baumgartner and Education and Workforce Committee Chairman Tim Walberg have introduced a bill aimed at addressing foreign influence in U.S. colleges. The proposed legislation, known as H.R. 1048 or the Defending Education Transparency and Ending Rogue Regimes Engaging in Nefarious Transactions (DETERRENT) Act, seeks to enhance transparency and tighten foreign gift reporting requirements for educational institutions.

According to Baumgartner, "Foreign powers, particularly the Chinese Communist Party, have quietly infiltrated our colleges and universities, using their financial influence to open the floodgates to endless cash that comes with hidden agendas." He emphasized the need for the DETERRENT Act to "expose these foreign influences" and ensure accountability among universities.

Chairman Walberg expressed concern over the current system's vulnerabilities: "The current system has allowed foreign adversaries to infiltrate our colleges and universities. By establishing footholds in American schools, bad actors gain access to valuable research and intellectual property that can be utilized to bolster their own military." He criticized the Biden-Harris administration for not investigating these threats.

The bill proposes reducing the foreign gift reporting threshold from $250,000 to $50,000, with an even stricter $0 threshold for countries of concern. It also aims to close loopholes and increase transparency by requiring disclosure of gifts received by individual staff and faculty at research-heavy institutions. Additionally, it holds private institutions accountable for revealing concerning foreign investments in their endowments.

Noncompliance with these regulations could result in fines or loss of Title IV funding for colleges and universities.