Last Friday, Members of both the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee and House Armed Services Committee sent a letter to President Joe Biden expressing their interest in collaborating with the Administration on taking a measured and balanced approach to strengthen the security and integrity of the country’s academic research enterprise.
The letter was signed by Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), Chairman Adam Smith (D-WA), Research and Technology Subcommittee Chairwoman Haley Stevens (D-MI), and Cyber, Innovative Technologies, and Information Systems Subcommittee Chairman Jim Langevin (D-RI).
“We strongly support a measured and balanced approach to this issue, one that promotes research integrity and security without impeding academic freedom, international collaboration, and the global competition for talent, all of which are critical to our continued leadership in science and innovation,” said the Chairs in the letter.
They continued, “Threats to U.S. research are complex and evolving, and we remain committed to partnering with the Executive Branch and key industry and academic stakeholders to ensure U.S. research is secure and unimpeded. The Biden Administration has the opportunity to build on and learn from efforts in the previous Administration to address legitimate security concerns while fostering an open and collaborative research environment. As the global competition for talent continues to intensify, we are also concerned by the decline in international student enrollment in recent years and urge the Administration to continue to refine and update policies to recruit the best and brightest from around the world while appropriately addressing any security risks.”
A copy of the full letter can be found here.
