Central ND News

On March 27, 2025, Congresswoman Julie Fedorchak cast her vote for H.R. 1048, known as the Defending Education Transparency and Ending Rogue Regimes Engaging in Nefarious Transactions (DETERRENT) Act. This legislative measure aims to protect American higher education from foreign influence. The act enhances reporting obligations for foreign gifts and contracts and imposes stricter penalties for noncompliance. It also restricts certain contracts between American educational institutions and entities connected to foreign adversaries.

Congresswoman Fedorchak stated, “Foreign adversaries like the Chinese Communist Party have worked for years to infiltrate our universities and serve their own agendas.” She highlighted the bill's role in boosting "transparency and accountability" and expressed that it seeks to shield American students and faculty "from hidden foreign manipulation." According to Fedorchak, "The next generation of American leaders should be shaped by the principles of freedom, integrity, and critical thought—not by the interests of hostile foreign governments.”

The DETERRENT Act targets concerns about countries such as China, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar, which allegedly use financial gifts and contracts to exert influence within U.S. universities. While laws already exist requiring the disclosure of these financial relationships, compliance has been inconsistent, with reports suggesting that many institutions have failed to properly report significant foreign contributions.