I have had no respect for so-called ‘think tanks’. Most of them find the conclusion they desire and they fit the dialog to help prove their conclusion…..and then there is all the cash that is funneled into these policy makers.

Millions upon millions find their way into these falsehood generators.

I do not have much good to say about the GOP but from time to time I find myself in agreement with their attempts…..and think tank cash is one of those policies….

New legislation introduced by three Republican members of Congress would set a new bar for transparency in funding from think tanks receiving foreign funding. The legislation — “Think Tank and Nonprofit Influence Disclosure Act of 2021” — aims to “root out foreign funding behind America’s policy research institutions” by requiring disclosure of foreign governments and foreign political parties that contribute in excess $50,000 per year to think tanks.

The requirement for think tanks to disclose their foreign sources of funding is particularly focused on revealing the extent of Chinese government-linked funding of think tanks, but the bills sponsors — Reps. Lance Gooden (R-Texas), Joe Wilson (R-S.C.), and Jim Banks (R-Ind.) — emphasized that the extent of foreign influence in U.S. think tanks is a far reaching problem. 

“Experts believe there are numerous foreign governments backing American think tanks and nonprofits, and that the Chinese Communist Party and Russian government are among those who seek to influence U.S. policymakers in this way,” said a press release from Gooden’s office.

The Republican bill closely closely reflects the policy recommendations in last year’s report by Ben Freeman, director of the Foreign Influence Transparency Initiative at the Center for International Policy, which found that $174 million in foreign funding went to top U.S. think tanks between 2014 and 2018, and advised that  “think tanks should be required, by law, to publicly disclose funding from foreign powers.”

A Responsible Statecraft and American Prospect investigation in January found that the House Foreign Affairs Committee, of which Wilson is a member, was regularly briefed by experts affiliated with think tanks that refuse to provide transparency into their funding sources. 

GOP lawmakers move to expose foreign money in US think tanks

I agree with this attempt….at least in principle…..

My question is….does apply to all think tanks or just those with liberal/progressive policies?

Will this include ALL think tanks?

Even the policy makers like Heritage?

If you would like to see where this bill goes then maybe a good place to start is with the bill itself…..

I want to see all ‘dark money’ out of politics and policies.

Be Smart!

Learn Stuff!

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”