McCollum Vote on H.R. 881

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 881, the DHS Restrictions on Confucius Institutes and Chinese Entities of Concern Act.

H.R. 881 is a solution in search of a problem. In 2018, Congress passed provisions prohibiting the Department of Defense from providing funds to any U.S. institution of higher education that hosts a Confucius Institute, unless that institution receives a waiver from the Department. Since its passage, no waivers have been issued, and the number of Confucius Institutes in the United States has declined from a peak of 118 in 2017 to fewer than five today. The current protections against Chinese intellectual property theft through Confucius Institutes have worked, and Congress should not place additional burdens on our colleges, universities, and their students.

Mr. Speaker, instead of addressing the harms of the President’s on-again-off-again tariffs, or working to address rising costs for American consumers, Republicans used this week to negotiate their Reckless Budget Scheme and rename a body of water. My constituents do not want Congress to give trillions of dollars of tax cuts to billionaires. They do not want cuts to SNAP or Medicaid, vital lifelines in my home state of Minnesota. It’s time Congress starts working to address the real issues – starting with passing full year appropriations bills. I am ready to get to work. 

Thank you, and I yield back.