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Rules Committee advances closed rule for bill restricting DHS funding to universities tied to Confucius Institutes
Summary
The House Committee on Rules reported a closed rule that will send H.R. 881 — which would restrict Department of Homeland Security funding to colleges and universities tied to Confucius Institutes or certain Chinese entities — to the House floor with limited debate.
The House Committee on Rules reported a closed rule to advance H.R. 881, the DHS Restrictions on Confucius Institutes and Chinese Entities of Concern Act, which would bar Department of Homeland Security funding for U.S. institutions of higher education that host Confucius Institutes or maintain relationships with defined Chinese entities of concern unless the Secretary of Homeland Security issues a waiver.
Representative Pfluger (Representative, Committee on Homeland Security) told the committee that Confucius Institutes “were quickly discovered to be another extension of the CCP global influence apparatus” and described the bill as a tool to protect students, intellectual property and national security. Representative Thompson (Representative, Committee on Homeland Security) explained bipartisan adjustments in this Congress that add a waiver provision and a technical-assistance requirement: the waiver allows the Secretary to permit DHS funding if the relationship is “in the national security interest of the U.S.” or “has no bearing on national security interests,” and the bill requires DHS to provide outreach and technical assistance to help institutions assess compliance.
Witnesses and members cited historical committee action and oversight. Representatives said Confucius Institutes once numbered in the high teens in the United States and that follow-on relationships persist; testimony referenced a GAO survey finding that 43 of 74 schools surveyed still maintain some relationship with an entity that supported a previous Confucius Institute. Representative Pfluger said fewer than 15 Confucius Institutes remain active in the U.S.
Members who questioned witnesses raised specific concerns about proximity to national security sites, the potential for intellectual-property exposure in research programs and the treatment of students who may be unaware they are participating in influence operations. In response to questions about enforcement and university compliance, committee witnesses said the bill’s technical-assistance provision is intended to help institutions identify whether their relationships would trigger a funding prohibition, and the waiver is intended to allow DHS discretion when national-security interests justify continued funding.
Representative Thompson told the committee that the bill is modeled in part on prior funding prohibitions applied to other agencies, citing restrictions in the National Defense Authorization Act and the CHIPS and Science Act for other agencies. He also said a prior House version of related language had passed the House 249–161 in the previous Congress and that Homeland Security Committee versions had been considered in earlier congresses.
As with H.R. 276, the Committee on Rules reported a closed rule for H.R. 881 that waives points of order and provides one hour of debate equally divided and one motion to recommit; committee action to report the rule was taken by recorded votes (final tally 9 yeas, 2 nays). The committee accepted prepared statements for the record and excused witnesses after questioning.
