House passes bill to monitor foreign university funding, defeats anti-Israel amendments

The U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly rejected a pair of anti-Israel amendments to a bill to scrutinize foreign funding at American universities.

The Defending Education Transparency and Ending Rogue Regimes Engaging in Nefarious Transactions (DETERRENT) Act, which the House passed on Thursday without the two amendments, lowers the threshold at which colleges and universities have to report foreign contracts and gifts from $250,000 to $50,000.

It also bars schools from contracts with China, Iran, North Korea and Russia.

Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) introduced a pair of amendments to the bill to target Israel alongside those legally designated “countries of concern” and accused Congress of voting to protect the Israeli “apartheid regime.”

“My colleagues like to talk about the rules-based international order, but when it comes to governments like the government of Israel, my colleagues are willing to throw international law in the shredder,” Tlaib said, during debate on the amendments on the House floor on Tuesday.

Her colleagues rejected that argument resoundingly, voting against the amendments 404-4 and 410-3.

One of the amendments, in part, would have added Israel to the list of “countries of concern” by amending the legal definition of such countries to include those facing trial at the International Court of Justice, or with arrest warrants from the International Criminal Court.

The other would designate funding from any country that the U.S. secretary of state deems to be committing international law or human rights violations to be an “investment of concern.”

Tlaib repeatedly indicated on the House floor that the measures were directed at Israel.

The only members of Congress who voted for either amendment were Reps. Tlaib, Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) and Al Green (D-Texas.).

AIPAC welcomed the votes on Thursday.

“Democrats and Republicans in Congress once again rejected Rep. Tlaib and her allies in the anti-Israel squad’s reckless attempt to isolate and demonize America’s democratic ally,” the pro-Israel group stated. “The votes today reflect a strong bipartisan affirmation of American support for the U.S.-Israel relationship.”

The DETERRENT Act in part seeks to address concerns from groups like the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy, which has raised the alarm about the connection between under-reported foreign university funding and anti-Israel bias.

In one report, ISGAP found that Qatar had donated nearly $16 million to Yale University since 2012, but the Ivy League school had only reported receiving a single grant of $284,668 from the Gulf monarchy.

The bill ultimately passed with bipartisan support 241-169, with 31 Democrats voting in favor and just one Republican, Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), voting nay.

Bacon told JNS that he agreed with the intent of the legislation but voted against it because of the regulatory burden it would place on higher education and because it creates new mandates for the Department of Education, even as the Trump administration seeks to eliminate the department.

“Universities would need to conduct surveillance on all foreign scholars, students and visitors on campus to monitor potential espionage,” Bacon told JNS. “They are in the business of education, not protecting national security.”

Democrats who voted in favor of the bill included many pro-Israel stalwarts, including Reps. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.), Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.), Brad Sherman (D-Calif.) and Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.).

“Unless you’ve got something to hide, then you should have no problem disclosing it,” Gottheimer stated. “I’m one of the very few members from New Jersey to help pass this bipartisan legislation to ensure academic institutions are disclosing foreign funding and to protect our students from influence from America’s adversaries.”

Jewish groups welcomed the passage of the bill on Thursday.

“The DETERRENT Act is a critical measure that strengthens transparency and accountability in higher education by ensuring proper oversight of foreign financial relationships with American institutions,” the Jewish Federations of North America stated.

Safeguarding higher education is a commonsense, bipartisan priority, and we are proud to continue our efforts to protect Jewish students on campuses across the United States,” the Federation added.

© JNS