On 25 March, AGU sent a letter to House leadership expressing concern over the DETERRENT Act.

On behalf of the American Geophysical Union (AGU) and our global community of more than half a million in the Earth and space sciences, I write to express our deep concerns regarding H.R.1048, the “Defending Education Transparency and Ending Rogue Regimes Engaging in Nefarious Transactions” (DETERRENT) Act. While we support efforts to enhance research security, this legislation imposes redundant and burdensome requirements that could stifle international scientific collaboration and hinder U.S. innovation.

Scientific progress relies on global partnerships, and policies that broadly restrict or complicate these collaborations risk isolating the U.S. scientific community. The bill introduces additional reporting and oversight mechanisms that duplicate existing federal requirements, such as those under the CHIPS and Science Act and National Security Presidential Memorandum-33 (NSPM-33). Rather than enhancing security, the Act’s new provisions would create unnecessary administrative burdens for researchers and research institutions and limit opportunities for meaningful scientific exchange. Additionally, the proposed expansion of foreign contract reviews by the U.S. Department of Education could exceed the agency’s expertise and capacity and result in unnecessary delays or denials of legitimate research agreements.

We urge Congress to pursue a more balanced approach that strengthens research security without excessive constraints on collaboration. Working with the research community to refine existing policies is a more effective path forward than imposing duplicative regulations that hinder innovation.

Thank you for your consideration. We look forward to working together to safeguard research integrity while preserving the open exchange of scientific knowledge essential to our natioAGU_Letter of Concern_DETERRENT Actn’s competitiveness.

See the full letter here.