US Sen. Dan Sullivan of Alaska is taking a lead role in efforts to curb the influence of hostile foreign regimes on American higher education. The legislation he introduced earlier in the Senate, known as the Securing Academia from Foreign Entanglements (SAFE) Act, received new momentum today with companion legislation introduced in the US House by Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.).
The SAFE Act targets financial entanglements between American universities and foreign countries of concern, prohibiting institutions of higher education from accepting gifts or entering into contracts with those nations. It also mandates greater transparency by requiring universities to disclose all financial ties to “covered nations” to the Department of Education, the FBI, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
Sullivan has repeatedly raised alarms about how adversarial nations, notably China, use financial leverage to infiltrate American academic institutions, influence curricula, and compromise research integrity. His legislation aims to close longstanding loopholes in the Higher Education Act of 1965 that have allowed foreign funding to go largely unmonitored.
“Our universities are places of innovation, freedom, and thought leadership,” Sullivan said when introducing the Senate version. “They should never serve as entry points for adversaries seeking to exploit our openness.”
The bill specifically amends current federal law to ban universities from accepting funds or forming agreements with governments deemed a national security threat. It further empowers federal agencies to track and assess foreign influence through mandatory reporting of contracts and donations, actions that have previously gone underreported.
The House introduction by Steube strengthens the bill’s chances of moving forward in the 118th Congress. It comes amid growing bipartisan concern over China’s use of Confucius Institutes and other foreign-backed academic partnerships that critics say pose risks to both free expression and national security. University of Alaska Anchorage had a Confucius Institute established in 2008 in partnership with China’s Northeast Normal University, which focused on Chinese language and cultural education.
If enacted, the SAFE Act would tighten federal oversight over the financial pipelines between foreign governments and US universities.
Sullivan has been a vocal proponent of decoupling American institutions from foreign influence, and the SAFE Act is the latest example of his focus on safeguarding critical sectors — from academia to infrastructure — from external threats.
So the very same goof who’d run one of the most glaring examples of USAID waste known, throwing away who knows how many hundreds of millions of hard earned American taxpayers’ dollars on foreign boondoggles to promote some kind of bogus “democracy” or perhaps color revolutions and/or lining the pockets of well-connected grifters both foreign and domestic, now comes forward to pretend he’s striking a blow against foreign influence.
Huh. It just doesn’t pass the smell test.
Gotta wonder how much he’s been taking in from AIPAC and other foreign interests…
Likely just plain blanket support for the MILITARY INDUSTRIAL WAR MACHINE.
Watch a good explanation of the UKRAINE DEBACLE:
‘https://americasvoice.news/video/CXzIhif3LAQ3vQO/?related=playlist
You should have voted for Begich.
He would have retained his seat if Joe Miller was in the General.
Just sayin.
The House introduction by Steube strengthens the bill’s chances of moving forward in the 118th Congress.Seriously?
Problem is that it won’t include that one country in the middle east that ALREADY has control over US universities and our Congress..
Wonderful… China is a problem… Now lets apply the same standard to all the other problem children in the world… ***
Hahahahahahaha. “Sullivan Leads” We doing standup now MRK?
Want to bet that the Senator’s AIPAC handlers made sure there is language in the Bill that excludes Israel from any federal scrutiny even though that nation is allegedly involved in, perhaps the most widespread instance of political blackmail ( the Epstein Files), to have ever ensnared a sitting President, Congress, the judiciary and academia!
More fear and paranoia peddling by Sullivan.
I’d rather have Miller, but this guy is pro Jew …. anti-communist and NOT Mark Begich (or Lisa M)
Why don’t conservatives attack liberals, instead of their own?
George- I think we are at the point where when we spot a phony in any Party they need to be exposed and replaced with the REAL DEAL as soon as possible. Dan got my vote, but he has since responded in correspondence to criticism of his Ukraine War support with “I am deeply committed to Ukraine”. Information is starting to get to prosecution in a 48-billion-dollar theft of monies sent to that Grift Hole already. Anyone can change their mind. The question is: Has he?
907 the limp //// EU should have been standing on the Ukraine boarder with Ukraine the moment Putin tried to push in. Instead they did what they always do act the pacifist except this time it isn’t going to work. Putin is going to be standing in the middle of Germany in the next 24 months if they don’t respond. And I doubt they will respond.