Colleges and universities across the nation need a serious injection of accountability and transparency when it comes to receiving foreign donations. Under current law, section 117 of the Higher Education Act, colleges and universities must adhere to reporting requirements related to receiving foreign donations. However, many fail to do so because of how weak the current law actually is. You may be surprised to know that a 2019 report from the United States Senate found that up to 70% of colleges and universities fail to comply with foreign gift reporting requirements. This is a serious problem, and one that requires a commonsense fix.

This week, House Republicans passed an important piece of legislation to address this threat: the bipartisan Defending Education Transparency and Ending Rogue Regimes Engaging in Nefarious Transactions (DETERRENT) Act. This legislation offers a set of commonsense legislative prescriptions that are long overdue. It updates section 117 to provide the very clarity and guidance that colleges and universities need to ensure they properly disclose foreign sources of funding and remain in compliance. It also adds a set of razor-sharp teeth to current law so we can hold colleges and universities accountable for failing to comply with section 117.

Investigations headed by the Trump administration discovered $6.5 billion in previously undisclosed gifts and contributions to so-called “elite universities”, and this money came from countries that pose a serious threat to our nation’s national security. A report from 2020 from the Department of Education found that schools had anonymously accepted $8.4 billion in foreign funds for over a decade. It’s important to note that the Biden administration, in four years, did not hold colleges and universities accountable for failing to disclose these kinds of gifts and donations. I was proud to vote in favor of the DETERRENT Act this week and to take a stand for increasing accountability and transparency that is long overdue.

Just The Facts

Misinformation from Washington Democrats continues to saturate the mainstream media’s reporting – it’s time to cut through the noise and expose the facts. One example of this, that I am sure you have heard about recently, is the media’s “reporting”  that supposedly the benefits of veterans are going to be slashed through the Veterans Administration (VA), and that thousands upon thousands of VA employees were losing their jobs and veterans would suffer as a result. This is pure misinformation that has continued to circulate, and more people are being purposefully misled by these outright falsehoods. VA Secretary Doug Collins released a video that lays out the facts – it’s certainly worth your time to watch. While this is one example of Washington Democrats’ misinformation efforts, there are many, many more I could highlight, and I certainly will in future newsletters to you.

Vietnam Veterans Pinning Ceremony Reminder

In partnership with the United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration, I’m inviting all Vietnam-era veterans residing in North Carolina's 5th Congressional District to be honored in a Vietnam War Commemoration Pinning Ceremony and receive a Vietnam Veteran Lapel Pin. The ceremony will be held at 12:30PM on April 4th at the Rockingham County Cooperative Extension building. For those who are interested in participating and being recognized in the pinning ceremony, please RSVP by March 31st via the form found online at: https://foxx.house.gov/vwc50/.

Please reach out to my Boone district office at (828) 265-0240 or send an email to foxxvwc50@mail.house.gov with any additional questions. 

Quote of The Week

“Where liberty dwells, there is my country.”

-Benjamin Franklin

 Have a blessed weekend,