During a debate on the House floor last week, Rep. John Moolenaar (R-MI) spoke in support of DHS Restrictions on Confucius Institutes and Chinese Entities of Concern Act or H.R.1516, a bill that restricts funding to higher education institutions that have a relationship with a Confucius Institute.
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00:00Texas is recognized. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I yield five minutes to the distinguished
00:04gentleman from Michigan, Mr. Mulyar, the chair of the China Select Committee.
00:09Gentleman from Michigan is recognized for five minutes.
00:12Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I rise today in strong support of Representative Pflueger's
00:18bipartisan HR 881, the DHS restrictions on Confucius Institutes and Chinese Entities
00:27of Concern Act. This legislation is about one thing, protecting American students, American
00:34research, and America's future from malign foreign influence, especially from the Chinese Communist Party.
00:42The CCP is engaged in a persistent, strategic campaign to influence every corner of American
00:49life. And one of their most dangerous efforts is to target our education system, often disguised
00:56as cultural exchange programs. The CCP efforts to infiltrate America's universities are intended
01:04to manipulate curriculum, suppress academic freedom, and monitor Chinese students here in the United
01:11States. Let's be clear, the Chinese government isn't investing in these programs to teach language.
01:18They're trying to shape how young Americans see the world, to rewrite the story of the Chinese Communist
01:24Party, one classroom at a time. This is part of a broader effort by Beijing to manipulate the next
01:32generation, whether through TikTok on their phones or authoritarian propaganda on their campuses.
01:39And it's working. That's why this bill matters. HR 881 makes it simple. If a university wants DHS funding,
01:49it cannot maintain ties to CCP influence operations. If you want taxpayer dollars,
01:56you cannot partner with a foreign adversary. We've already made real progress. The number of Confucius
02:03Institutes in the U.S. has dropped from over 100 to just a few. However, too many Confucius Institutes are
02:12rebranding or maintaining quiet ties behind the scenes. As chairman of the Select Committee on the
02:19Chinese Communist Party, I can tell you the threat is real and the evidence is overwhelming. This isn't
02:26about blocking cultural exchange. It's about blocking foreign exploitation. Academic freedom is not for
02:35sale, not to Beijing, not on our watch. Let's stand together, Republicans and Democrats, to protect our
02:42students, safeguard our campuses, and push back on foreign influence. Vote yes on HR 881, and I yield back.