Dhs Restrictions on Confucius Institutes and Chinese Entities of Concern Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. CHU. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 881. This bill would block Department of Homeland Security funding from colleges and universities with a Confucius Institute, which is known to have CCP ties, but it expands the prohibition to any institution that has a relationship with a Chinese entity of concern.

What is a Chinese entity of concern? Because a bill defines such entities so broadly, that list could potentially include every single college in China.

Because this is a new definition that is not shared with any other Federal agency, universities would be required to independently verify that their Chinese counterpart institutions do not meet this broad definition just to cooperate on activities as simple as study abroad programs. The University of California has said they do not have an intelligence agency within their structure that can do this.

This is a completely unreasonable expectation of universities, and that is because the real goal of the legislation is to completely sever academic relations with institutions in China.

Ending study abroad programs, student exchanges, and every research agreement will do nothing to make America safer. In fact, the only improvement that this bill makes over the version that Republicans advanced last year is giving the Secretary of Homeland Security the authority to grant waivers. That means universities are expected to ask for a waiver from the same administration that is continually threatening their Federal funding and their tax-exempt status.

This is a harmful bill that would only serve to weaken America and give the Trump administration yet another weapon to attack the American institutions that they deem are insufficiently loyal to President Trump.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this bill.

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