CAPAC Chair Emerita Judy Chu Speaks on House Floor in Opposition to the DETERRENT Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Rep. Judy Chu, Chair Emerita of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), spoke on the House Floor in opposition to H.R. 1048: The DETERRENT Act.

On March 20, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order to dismantle the Department of Education. This legislation would increase the Department’s responsibilities and threaten the financial futures of higher education institutions if they do not meet new onerous reporting requirements.

Watch Rep. Chu’s full floor speech HERE. Below is a transcript of her remarks, as delivered:

“As Chair Emerita of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, I rise in strong opposition to the DETERRENT Act. For now, the American university research system is the envy of the world, but the DETERRENT Act would burden our higher ed institutions and federal agencies with massive amounts of reporting—of a gift of any value from foreign countries—and would cast a chilling effect disproportionately on the Asian American academic community. 

“From the incarceration of Japanese Americans in World War II to the racial profiling of Chinese American scientists under Trump's failed first term (the China Initiative), countless Asian Americans have had their lives destroyed because our government falsely accused them of being spies. Already 72% of Asian American academic researchers report feeling unsafe. 

“By publicizing the private personal information of certain faculty and staff on databases, the bill would make the problem worse, making them much easier targets for xenophobic attacks. Safeguarding national security can be done through common sense reforms Democrats have offered that don't come at the expense of U.S. scientific innovation, global collaboration and the Asian American community.

“And as if we need another reason to oppose this bill, it would create enormous new responsibilities for the Department of Education at the same time that Trump is attempting to illegally dismantle that very department. I urge my colleagues to vote no, and I yield back.”

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Founded in 1994, the bicameral Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus is composed of 79 members of Congress who advocate on behalf of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities. The Caucus is led by Congresswoman Grace Meng, who was elected CAPAC Chair in 2024.