Sens. Cruz, Blackburn, Rep. Stefanik Introduce Bill to Counter Chinese Espionage in American Universities

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), and U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) today introduced the Stop Higher Education Espionage and Theft (SHEET) Act, legislation to counter Chinese espionage efforts and influence operations in American universities. Sen. Cruz previously introduced this bill in 2018 and 2019.

Upon introducing this bill, Sen. Cruz said:

"As I have repeatedly said, China is the single greatest geopolitical threat facing the United States and a profoundly malign influence in our universities. The SHEET Act advances U.S. security by countering the espionage and propaganda targeting American higher education. I remain committed to fundamentally reassessing the U.S.-China relationship and holding China accountable for their widespread espionage, censorship, and human rights violations."

Rep. Stefanik added:

"The Chinese Communist Party is actively spreading propaganda and engaging in intellectual property theft and various forms of espionage on American college campuses. This bill would implement simple measures to combat these malign activities, protect the integrity of our academic institutions, and safeguard the national security of the United States."

Read the full text of the SHEET Act here.

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