A new bipartisan proposal would require scholars at think tanks to reveal their monetary connections to foreign governments when testifying before Congress.
Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., drafted the proposal in response to a New York Times article which found that over the last few years, at least 64 foreign governments, state-controlled entities or government officials contributed at least $92 million to nearly 30 major U.S.-based researched organizations.
“The American people have a reasonable expectation that these links will be transparent and allow for no appearance of a conflict of interest,” she told a House Rules subcommittee Wednesday, according to the New York Times.
As of now, there is no requirement for think tank scholars appearing before House committees as witnesses to disclose if their workplace has foreign donors.
The Brookings Institution receives 12 percent of its annual funding from foreign governments, for example, while the Atlantic Council has relied on foreign governments to provide between 5 and 20 percent of its annual budget, Speier testified.
