H.R. 276 – Gulf of America Act of 2025; H.R. 881 – DHS Restrictions on Confucius Institutes and Chinese Entities of Concern Act5
2025-05-05
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Source: Congress.gov
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Good afternoon. The committee will come to order. Without objection, the chair is authorized to declare recess at any time. Today, the Rules Committee is convening to consider two separate measures, H.R. 276 and H.R. 881. Despite the claims that I'm sure will will be inundated with the entirety of today's meeting, that Republicans are wasting time The truth is that we're moving forward with legislation that defends American interests. H.R. 276, the Gulf of America Act renames the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America. and directs federal agencies to update their documents and maps accordingly to incorporate the new name. This legislation codifies President Trump's actions to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America. In short, this legislation recognizes the strategic influence America has over this geography, not to mention the existing economic, cultural, and commercial might that we passively exert on the Gulf. Gulfs across the world are recognized by their geographic linkages. This is true of the Gulf of Oman, the Arabian Gulf, or even the Gulf of Alaska. The nomenclature of this Gulf goes back to the mid-1600s, before the United States was even a thought, and when Spanish influence over Central America and the Caribbean was at its zenith. Now the United States' interest in the Gulf of America outpaces Mexico's. The entirety of Mexico's economic activity related to the Gulf pales in comparison to even some of our county's economic activity. The necessary renaming made by the president did not end the world, as some would like us to believe, nor did it cause a single bit of harm to the American people.
I'd be curious to know from our Democrat colleagues if they have found a single concrete data point that this decision was detrimental to the American people. They can't because there's not a single data point that exists regarding that. Having the realities of the Gulf's link to America reflected in government records makes sense. We shouldn't let certain allergic reactions to decisions made by the Trump administration stand in the way of good public policy. Instead, we should support this decision and codify it, demonstrating our Article One authority. HR 881, the DHS restrictions on Confucius Institutes and Chinese Entities of Concern Act establishes funding restrictions via the Department of Homeland Security and on institutions of higher education that have an established relationship with Confucius Institutes. For years, the CCP has executed sophisticated and targeted propaganda and espionage campaigns across the globe. The CCP exploits the open and collaborative nature of American academia to conduct widespread industrial and military espionage inside the United States. Although there are fewer than five active Confucius Institutes left in existence in the United States, the GAO found that 43 out of 74 schools surveyed still maintain a relationship with an entity that supported their previous Confucius Institute. This must be addressed immediately. The federal nexus of H.R. 881 is taxpayer funding. Taxpayer dollars are privileged and provided through Congress's Article One powers.
Congress can and should safeguard this funding and ensure that the dollars are appropriately used while encouraging universities to end relationships with partners who do not have America's best interests in mind. Today, we will advance these two bills that put American interests first. That's where they should always be placed. I'll happily extend the invitation for our Democrat colleagues to join us in supporting both. While I look forward to today's discussion, I now yield to Ms. Scanlon for any comment she wishes to make. Ms. Thank you, Chairwoman Fox.
So today we debate two bills, another tired Confucius Institute bill and a bill to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. I thought the bills to make the world safe for household appliances were as low as this House majority could go, but I underestimated their creativity. The issue of Confucius Institutes in America seems to be a largely settled issue. Congress has taken multiple steps over the years to limit the presence of these institutions on American campuses. And by most accounts, those efforts have worked. But if my colleagues want to beat a dead horse to get in some talking points because there's no legislation of consequence on the floor this week, enjoy yourselves.
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