WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the U.S. Senate passed the Endless Frontier Act, bipartisan legislation supported by U.S. Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC). The passage of the Endless Frontier Act includes several bills that Senator Tillis introduced, including:

• The Research Investment to Spark the Economy (RISE) Act, legislation to authorize federal agencies to provide support to U.S. researchers who have been impacted by the COVID-19 Pandemic.
• The Safeguarding American Innovation Act, legislation to prevent foreign governments, particularly China, from stealing American taxpayer-funded research and intellectual property developed at U.S. colleges and universities. 
• The Transparency for Confucius Institutes Act, legislation to set transparency requirements for colleges with a Confucius Institute. 
• The Sister Cities Transparency Act, legislation to increase transparency on the 157 sister city partnerships between U.S. and Chinese communities.
• The Inventor Diversity for Economic Advancement (IDEA) Act, bipartisan, bicameral legislation to close the gap that women, minorities, and others face when procuring patent rights in the United States.

“We must do everything in our power to counter the Chinese Communist Party’s ultimate goal of overtaking the United States as the world’s top superpower and realigning the international system to serve China’s nefarious interests,” said Senator Tillis. “The CCP’s cover-up and deception surrounding COVID-19 underscores the need for the free world to take this threat seriously. The Endless Frontier Act is a good first step to protecting American jobs, research workforce pipeline, and innovation, and I am pleased that the RISE Act, Safeguarding American Innovation Act, and the IDEA Act were all included in the passage. I will continue to work across the aisle to protect the economy, public health, and national security of the United States and maintain our position as the leader of the world that protects sovereignty, enforces the rule of law, and respects human rights.”

Last year, Senator Tillis unveiled a detailed 18-point plan to hold the Chinese government accountable for its lies, deception, and cover-ups that ultimately led to the global COVID-19 pandemic.

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