Defending Education Transparency and Ending Rogue Regimes Engaging in Nefarious Transactions Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. BARRAGAN. Mr. Chair, I oppose H.R. 1048, the DETERRENT Act, because it imposes unnecessary, overly broad reporting mandates on universities under the pretense of national security. While protecting research from foreign influence is important, this bill goes too far, sweeping in respected organizations like the United Nations and the World Health Organization. It creates a complex and punitive reporting system that burdens universities with vague requirements and excessive penalties, while assigning enforcement to the Department of Education, which is understaffed and lacks national security expertise. The Trump Administration is also trying to dismantle the Department of Education.

The bill also mandates a public database of faculty contracts and donations, raising privacy concerns and exposing researchers to potential harassment. This approach does not strengthen security--it creates red tape that harms academic collaboration. That is why I oppose it, along with major higher education groups and research institutions.

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