Bobby Scott Blasts GOP's New University Gifts Reporting Rule As 'Not Only Nonsensical, But Reckless'

3/25/2025

During debate on the House floor, Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA) spoke in opposition to HR 1048, the DETERRENT Act.

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Transcript

00:00Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

00:06The gentleman is recognized. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I rise in opposition to H.R. 1048,

00:11the Deterrent Act. Let's acknowledge, first of all, the elephant in the room.

00:16Just last month, the Secretary of Education fired half of the department

00:21staff. Last week, President Trump signed an executive order aimed at

00:26dismantling the entire department. This administration is actively working to

00:31eliminate an agency that has long been the cornerstone of ensuring that every

00:36child in America has access to a quality education. Today, we're discussing a bill

00:42that would add even more responsibility to the very department that you're

00:46trying to destroy. It's almost as if you're trying to dismantle the agency,

00:50but at the same time, recognizing its critical role and piling on

00:56additional duties. This is not only nonsensical, but reckless. You can't

01:02argue that a Department of Education is unnecessary and then hand it more work

01:07expecting it to function without staff, resources, or the leadership that it

01:11needs. This Congress has a responsibility to address the many

01:16pressing issues that students face, like closing the achievement gaps, improving

01:22college affordability, and ending gun violence in schools. Instead, we find

01:27ourselves considering bills that target vulnerable groups, and now this bill,

01:31which risks isolating America from the global partnerships in research and

01:36education. Instead of requiring institutions to report foreign gifts or

01:41contracts large enough to exert any influence, the bill before us would

01:45require institutions to report gifts of any value from people who are not U.S.

01:50citizens if they are from a list of, quote, countries of concern. A list that

01:56is difficult to find and will be very difficult to keep track of because it is

02:00subject to change. The Department of Education has already lost half its

02:04staff, and if this bill passes, it would have to process an exponentially larger

02:09number of reports than it has to process already. Now, how can we place these new

02:15responsibilities on an agency that's being hollowed out, and how can we

02:19expect it to manage these complex issues when the institution is being

02:23dismantled? H.R. 1048 would also impose burdensome and unnecessary penalties on

02:29institutions for working with international scholars and

02:32organizations. Since faculty really don't know their colleagues' citizenship

02:38status, it is reasonable to believe the discrimination will follow, and

02:42institutions will be incentivized from hiring talented international faculty.

02:48Now, Mr. Speaker, present law already requires reporting of any gift large

02:54enough to exert any influence over a university, and this bill requires a

02:57reporting of gifts of any value, that is, a cup of coffee, a donut, from people who

03:05are from so-called countries of concern, and requires the Department of Education

03:10to process all of those reports. The same Department of Education that just lost

03:15half its staff, and if the problem is millions of dollars in unreported gifts,

03:20requiring the reporting of free donuts cannot be the answer. Mr. Speaker,

03:26Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Bobby Scott Blasts GOP's New University Gifts Reporting Rule As 'Not Only Nonsensical, But Reckless'

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