Senators Rick Scott (R-FL), Ted Budd (R-NC), and Ted Cruz (R-TX) have reintroduced the “DHS Restrictions on Confucius Institutes and Chinese Entities of Concern Act,” aiming to sever federal funding ties between the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and American universities affiliated with Confucius Institutes (CIs) or other entities linked to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
The legislation comes amidst growing concerns about espionage, intellectual property theft, and the spread of CCP propaganda within U.S. academic institutions.
The bill, which recently passed the House of Representatives under the leadership of Congressman August Pfluger (R-TX), seeks to prevent DHS grants from being awarded to universities with such affiliations.
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Senator Scott, in conjunction with the bill’s reintroduction, also sent a letter to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, urging her to take immediate action to halt federal funding for schools with CCP connections. The letter outlined several key priorities aimed at safeguarding American homeland security.
“For too long, Communist China has used every tool and resource at its disposal to spy on American citizens, undermine our economy, and steal American research, technology, and intellectual property,” Senator Scott stated. “We’ve seen the CCP use Confucius Institutes and other programs to infiltrate universities and colleges, collect valuable and sensitive information, spread propaganda, and recruit for its Military-Civil Fusion. The United States and our higher education institutions cannot turn a blind eye while our adversaries use American research against us.”
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Senator Scott emphasized that the bill’s intent is to prevent American taxpayer dollars from funding programs that enable the CCP to conduct espionage, steal intellectual property, and jeopardize national security. He expressed optimism for the bill’s passage in the Senate and its enactment into law.
“The Chinese Communist Party expends vast resources to control what Americans see, hear, and ultimately think — including by directly spreading propaganda and engaging in censorship targeting American students,” Senator Cruz said. “These activities pose an acute threat to the national security of the United States.”
Cruz also pointed to his past legislative efforts, including a 2018 law that denied Defense Department funding to schools hosting Confucius Institutes and a more recent measure prohibiting the DOD from establishing Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps programs at private schools with links to dangerous Chinese entities.
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“I am proud to join with my colleagues on this bill, which gives DHS the authority to counter CCP efforts targeting students by prohibiting federal funds from being given to higher education institutions that have ties to similar, dangerous Chinese entities. The Senate should expeditiously take up and advance this bill,” he added.
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