Today, Rep. John James (MI-10) introduced legislation to tackle foreign money and influence in higher education and research institutions. The Disclose GIFTs (Getting Investments in Foreign Transactions) Act requires faculty and staff involved at high research institutions as well as Title VI recipient institutions to report gifts and contracts from foreign nations.
Rep. James issued the following statement after introducing the legislation:
“For too long, foreign adversaries like the Chinese Communist Party have infiltrated academia to spy on the United States, steal our information, and gain a foothold in our government. The national security implications should alarm all Americans,” James said. “If faculty and staff at American institutions are under foreign influence, the least we can do is ensure that the United States government is aware and monitoring it. This bill is an important step toward accountability.”
House Education and Workforce Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx, a co-lead of the Disclose GIFTs Act, also released the following statement in support of this legislation:
“American research institutions play an important role in strengthening our position on the international stage. However, we cannot sacrifice national security in the name of competition. Unfortunately, that is exactly what is happening. Our adversaries frequently target valuable American research and for too long, these institutions and their staff have accepted money from foreign actors without any due diligence to track the origin or intent of those funds. Congressman James’ bill puts a stop to the status quo and prevents our enemies from hiding nefarious foreign gifts and contracts used to influence research faculty. This bill is an important step in protecting American education from potentially harmful foreign influence schemes,” said Foxx.
The gift reporting requirements are aligned with the same standards that bind members of Congress. Institutions would be required to upload these disclosures on a publicly available and searchable database. Fines with incremental increases would be imposed on institutions in violation of these requirements. Three violations would result in a loss of Title VI eligibility through the program participation agreement.
