July 29, 2020 - Issue: Vol. 166, No. 134 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 2nd Session

[Page H3967]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1945
                     CHINESE ESPIONAGE IN ACADEMIA

  (Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, whether we like it or 
not, every day the Communist Government of China seeks the downfall of 
our great Nation. Since 2000, there have been well over 100 documented 
cases of Chinese espionage in the United States.
  Many of these have come from the infiltration of American academic 
institutions. This past year, even the chairman of the Department of 
Chemistry at Harvard University was charged with academic espionage.
  This is a national crisis and why I introduced the INFLUENCE Act 
today.
  Existing law requires institutions of higher learning to report any 
gift or contract from a foreign source valued at $250,000 or more. That 
is simply too high a threshold. My bill lowers this threshold to 
$50,000 so we can have a better idea of who is influencing American 
higher education.
  We cannot be naive to the fact that China desires this Nation's 
downfall, and their infiltration of American higher education is a 
clear and present danger to this great Nation's security. I hope my 
colleagues will bolster our national security by supporting the 
INFLUENCE Act.

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