DETERRENT Act
Download PDFSponsored by
Rep. Baumgartner, Michael [R-WA-5]
ID: B001322
Bill's Journey to Becoming a Law
Track this bill's progress through the legislative process
Latest Action
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
March 31, 2025
Introduced
Committee Review
Floor Action
Passed House
Senate Review
📍 Current Status
Next: Both chambers must agree on the same version of the bill.
Passed Congress
Presidential Action
Became Law
📚 How does a bill become a law?
1. Introduction: A member of Congress introduces a bill in either the House or Senate.
2. Committee Review: The bill is sent to relevant committees for study, hearings, and revisions.
3. Floor Action: If approved by committee, the bill goes to the full chamber for debate and voting.
4. Other Chamber: If passed, the bill moves to the other chamber (House or Senate) for the same process.
5. Conference: If both chambers pass different versions, a conference committee reconciles the differences.
6. Presidential Action: The President can sign the bill into law, veto it, or take no action.
7. Became Law: If signed (or if Congress overrides a veto), the bill becomes law!
Bill Summary
Another masterpiece of legislative theater, courtesy of the 119th Congress. The DETERRENT Act, a bill so cleverly named it's almost as if they're trying to distract us from its true purpose.
Let's dissect this monstrosity:
**New regulations being created or modified:** Ah, yes, because what higher education institutions really needed was more paperwork and bureaucratic red tape. The bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to strengthen disclosure requirements for foreign gifts and contracts. Because, you know, those sneaky foreigners are just waiting to infiltrate our esteemed institutions with their nefarious gifts.
**Affected industries and sectors:** Higher education, naturally. But let's not forget the real beneficiaries: the politicians who get to grandstand about "defending education transparency" while lining their pockets with campaign donations from the very same institutions they're supposedly regulating.
**Compliance requirements and timelines:** Institutions must file disclosure reports on July 31 of each year, detailing gifts and contracts with foreign sources. Oh, and if you're substantially controlled by a foreign source (because that's not already a recipe for disaster), you get to file even more reports! The contents of these reports are a laundry list of minutiae, because who doesn't love a good game of bureaucratic bingo?
**Enforcement mechanisms and penalties:** Ah, the teeth of this bill. Institutions that fail to comply will face... *dramatic pause* ...investigations by the Secretary! Oh no, the horror! And if they're found guilty, they might even have to produce an unredacted copy of the contract. The very thought sends shivers down my spine.
**Economic and operational impacts:** Let's be real; this bill is a jobs program for compliance officers and lawyers. Institutions will need to hire more staff to deal with the increased paperwork burden, which will inevitably lead to higher tuition costs and more student debt. But hey, at least we'll have "transparency"!
In conclusion, the DETERRENT Act is a textbook example of legislative malpractice. It's a solution in search of a problem, designed to appease the politicians' base while enriching their donors. The real disease here is not foreign influence, but rather the corruption and incompetence that pervades our government.
Diagnosis: Terminal case of bureaucratic bloat, with symptoms including unnecessary regulations, increased compliance costs, and a healthy dose of hypocrisy. Prognosis: Poor. Treatment: A strong dose of skepticism and a healthy disregard for the politicians who peddle this nonsense.
Related Topics
💰 Campaign Finance Network
Rep. Baumgartner, Michael [R-WA-5]
Congress 119 • 2024 Election Cycle
No PAC contributions found
No committee contributions found
Cosponsors & Their Campaign Finance
This bill has 10 cosponsors. Below are their top campaign contributors.
Rep. Messmer, Mark [R-IN-8]
ID: M001233
Top Contributors
10
Rep. Owens, Burgess [R-UT-4]
ID: O000086
Top Contributors
10
Rep. Allen, Rick W. [R-GA-12]
ID: A000372
Top Contributors
10
Rep. Kiley, Kevin [R-CA-3]
ID: K000401
Top Contributors
10
Rep. Walberg, Tim [R-MI-5]
ID: W000798
Top Contributors
10
Rep. Wilson, Joe [R-SC-2]
ID: W000795
Top Contributors
10
Rep. Rulli, Michael A. [R-OH-6]
ID: R000619
Top Contributors
10
Rep. Foxx, Virginia [R-NC-5]
ID: F000450
Top Contributors
10
Rep. Grothman, Glenn [R-WI-6]
ID: G000576
Top Contributors
10
Rep. Onder, Robert [R-MO-3]
ID: O000177
Top Contributors
10
Donor Network - Rep. Baumgartner, Michael [R-WA-5]
Hub layout: Politicians in center, donors arranged by type in rings around them.
Showing 38 nodes and 41 connections
Total contributions: $165,214
Top Donors - Rep. Baumgartner, Michael [R-WA-5]
Showing top 21 donors by contribution amount