Lance Gooden bill demands transparency in foreign-funded think tanks
Rep. Lance Gooden (R-TX) has reintroduced legislation aimed at enhancing transparency regarding foreign influence in American think tanks and nonprofit organizations, especially that funded by China. Named the Think Tank and Nonprofit Foreign Influence Disclosure Act, the bill requires organizations receiving over $10,000 from foreign governments and political parties to disclose donor identities and amounts. This initiative arises during a period of heightened scrutiny of Chinese activities in the U.S., coinciding with the Trump governance’s efforts to limit Chinese influence, including restricted student visas. Co-sponsored by Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-WI), the bill emphasizes the need for accountability to safeguard American interests from potential foreign propaganda and influence. Previous attempts to pass similar legislation have not succeeded, but there is increasing concern regarding the extent of Chinese influence in American institutions.
Lance Gooden sponsors bill demanding transparency in think tanks funded by China and other foreign countries
EXCLUSIVE — Rep. Lance Gooden (R-TX) is reintroducing legislation aimed at reducing Chinese and other foreign influence in education, think tanks, and nonprofit groups during the Trump administration‘s crackdown on its economic rival.
Gooden has introduced the bill, the Think Tank and Nonprofit Foreign Influence Disclosure Act, several times before, but it now comes at a time when the Trump administration is emphasizing cutting down on Chinese influence by revoking Chinese student visas, reconsidering all future visa applications from the country, and engaging in a trade war with China.
Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-WI) is co-sponsoring the act.
“If you are taking foreign money, especially from the Chinese Communist Party, the American people deserve to know. We are done letting adversaries hide behind charity labels to spread propaganda,” Tiffany told the Washington Examiner.
The bill will require tax-exempt charitable organizations to disclose all contributions and gifts over $10,000 from foreign governments and political parties, with an additional stipulation that they must disclose donor names and aggregate amounts received.
The legislation will also place a special emphasis on reporting contributions from China and its Communist Party, with amounts to be disclosed separately for full transparency. The Treasury Department would “create a publicly accessible, searchable online database to provide clear and immediate access to this information.”
The Think Tank and Nonprofit Foreign Influence Disclosure Act was originally prompted by a 2018 report showing Chinese influence in U.S. think tanks, cultural organizations, and other groups via its Central United Front Work Department. It also cites the March 2025 Annual Threat Assessment from the intelligence community that says the Chinese government is “likely to feel emboldened to use
malign influence more regularly in coming years.”
“The Chinese Communist Party is conducting covert influence operations through American
institutions, threatening our sovereignty in the long term,” Gooden told the Washington Examiner. “The Think Tank and Nonprofit Foreign Influence Disclosure Act forces transparency, ensures
accountability, and prevents malign actors from subverting the America First agenda.”
The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and the Institute for China-America Studies have reportedly had CCP members working for them or have received money from China, according to Gooden’s office. The congressman sent a letter in 2022 to then-Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen asking for the department to investigate Russian ties to environmental groups, including the Sea Change Foundation, the Sierra Club, the Sunrise Movement, and the League of Conservation Voters Education Fund.
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Gooden has introduced the bill at least three times before, in 2021, 2022, and 2024, but the bill never made it out of committee. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME) have also introduced similar bills, but they also did not pass the House or Senate.
There is evidence that Chinese influence extends to Congress. A Washington Examiner investigation found that several members, including Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Michael McCaul (R-TX), and Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) have disclosed stock trades in companies linked to the CCP.
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