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Watch his remarks here or read them as prepared for delivery below.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of my bill, H.R. 881, the DHS Restrictions on Confucius Institutes and Chinese Entities of Concern Act. I have long been concerned about the threats the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) poses to our homeland.
In the Homeland Security Committee and on my Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence, we have heard from a wide array of national security experts and law enforcement officials who have continuously raised alarms about the CCP’s increasing subversive activities inside our country through organizations like the CCP’s Confucious Institutes, the Thousand Talents Program, and other CCP-affiliated groups.
While Confucius Institutes are presented as centers for promoting Chinese language and culture, it is proven that they have been used to steal critical research, recruit talent for Military-Civil fusion enterprises, conduct espionage, commit transnational repression, and influence academic institutions to the benefit of the CCP.
At their peak, the United States hosted approximately 118 Confucius Institutes, primarily at colleges and universities. There are fewer than 14 active Confucius Institutes today, but the danger remains. Many of these programs have rebranded themselves within universities with the same mission as before: to subvert national security and expand CCP influence operations.
Another example is the CCP’s Thousand Talents Program, which the FBI has listed as the most prolific sponsor of state-sponsored talent recruitment programs that bring outside knowledge and innovation back to China, often through stealing trade secrets, breaking export control laws, or violating conflict-of-interest policies. These talent recruitment programs are a win-win for China. China wins twice. First, U.S. taxpayers are funding this research, not China. Second, China then uses the research it would not otherwise have to advance its own economic and military interests.
Today, we are debating H.R. 881, my legislation that would prohibit DHS from funding American universities that host a Confucius Institute or Thousand Talents Program or maintain relationships with Chinese entities of concern. H.R. 881 also ensures that universities prioritize the education of their students over any partnerships with these institutes.
This legislation passed the House last year with bipartisan support, and this year, H.R. 881 passed through the Committee on Homeland Security with unanimous bipartisan support. I want to thank Chairman Green, Ranking Member Thompson, my counterpart on the Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence, Ranking Member Magaziner, and the Committee on Homeland Security staff for moving this critical legislation forward.
The DHS Restrictions on Confucius Institutes and Chinese Entities of Concern Act would play a vital role in protecting our students, intellectualproperty, and national security. Together, this effort demonstrates a unified, bipartisan way to protect our nation from the insidious influence of the CCP and that our students, our intellectual property, and our national security are all protected from the malign influence of the CCP.
I urge all of my Republican and Democrat colleagues to support this legislation. Thank you, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Background:
Confucius Institutes have historically been presented as centers for promoting Chinese language and culture, but unfortunately, they have proven to be far from that. Confucius Institutes have been used to steal critical research, recruit talent for Military-Civil fusion enterprises, conduct espionage, commit transnational repression, and influence academic institutions to the benefit of the CCP.
At their peak, the United States hosted approximately 118 Confucius Institutes, primarily at colleges and universities. There are fewer than 14 active Confucius Institutes today, but the danger remains. Many of these programs have rebranded themselves within universities with the same mission as before: to subvert national security and expand CCP influence operations.
Chairman Pfluger has led this legislation since the 117th Congress. Earlier this year, he reintroduced the "DHS Restrictions on Confucius Institutes Act, and held a CTI Subcommittee hearing to combat threats posed by the Chinese Communist Party to U.S. National Security. During the hearing, Chairman Pfluger had experts agree with the need for his legislation, stating that federal funding should be restricted from universities with Confucius institutes.
Following the hearing, Chairman Pfluger's legislation passed through the House Committee on Homeland Security's legislative markup with bipartisan support.
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