Oppose H.R.1018 – We Need Real Oversight, Not Bureaucratic Theater

I’m writing to urge you to oppose H.R.1018, the so-called “INSTRUCT Act.” This bill adds nothing meaningful to existing law and instead reads as an empty gesture designed more for political optics than actual governance. Colleges and universities are already required under Section 117 of the Higher Education Act to disclose significant foreign gifts and contracts. The problem isn’t a lack of law—it’s a lack of enforcement. H.R.1018 does not solve that. It simply increases paperwork, mandates unredacted report sharing, and performs a minor bit of public disclosure theater. If Congress is serious about transparency and foreign influence in higher education, it should provide the Department of Education with the tools, staffing, and authority to enforce the laws already on the books—not pass redundant mandates that shift documents between agencies without any mechanism for action. We need real oversight, not bureaucratic performance art. Please vote no on H.R.1018.