Senator Ted Budd | Senator Ted Budd Official photo
Senator Ted Budd | Senator Ted Budd Official photo
Washington, D.C. — Senator Ted Budd (R-NC) has joined forces with Senator JD Vance (R-OH) to co-sponsor the Safeguarding American Education from Foreign Control Act, a bill aimed at protecting American universities from foreign adversaries' influence.
The bill, if passed, would require American universities to disclose any gifts received from foreign adversaries, regardless of their value. Additionally, it would mandate that the Department of Education share all current and future reports regarding these gifts with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Explaining his support for the bill, Sen. Budd highlighted the Chinese Communist Party's relentless efforts to undermine the United States, stating, "Whether it's buying up farmland, data mining through TikTok and Huawei, or sending a spy balloon across our mainland, it is no secret that the Chinese Communist Party is willing to use any means necessary to influence and undermine our nation. America's educational institutions are no exception, and that is why I am glad to join Senator Vance in this important effort to implement stricter safeguards that will help protect our students from any attempt by the CCP to exert influence over our colleges and universities."
Senator Vance echoed these concerns, emphasizing that American universities have repeatedly sought funding from foreign adversaries, particularly the Chinese Communist Party. He stressed the need to prevent hostile nations from infiltrating and exploiting the higher education system, stating, "The American people deserve to see every single dollar of foreign donations going to U.S. colleges and universities, and that's exactly what this legislation would do."
The current disclosure requirements for universities, as outlined in Section 117 of the Higher Education Act of 1965, mandate the reporting of gifts and contracts valued at $250,000 or more from foreign sources. However, universities have been found to disregard these requirements, with UC Berkeley recently exposed for failing to disclose a staggering $220 million in Chinese state funding for a joint tech venture.
Despite these violations, the Biden Department of Education has been reluctant to enforce the Section 117 requirements and hold universities accountable.
To read the full text of the Safeguarding American Education from Foreign Control Act, click HERE
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