North Carolina State Representative Gregory F. Murphy has expressed concerns about the influence of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in various sectors, including higher education. He said that the United States is engaged in a “war with China” and emphasized the need to address this influence, particularly on college campuses.
“Frankly speaking the United States is at war with China,” said Rep. Gregory F. Murphy. “The Chinese Communist Party is economically, digitally, agriculturally, biologically, and philosophically attempting to control the United States. We must take the threat of the Chinese Communist Party’s influence in our society and on college campuses seriously.”
Murphy introduced the Protecting Endowments from Our Adversaries Act (PEOAA), which proposes a 50% excise tax on certain investments linked to entities listed by the U.S. government and a 100% tax on gains from those investments. According to a press release, this legislation targets private colleges and universities with endowments exceeding $1 billion, affecting approximately 80 institutions.
The bill specifically addresses investments in companies that appear on U.S. government lists such as the Entity List, Military End User List, Unverified List, and FCC Covered List. In 2022, Murphy reached out to several universities, including Davidson College and Wake Forest University, urging them to reassess their investments in foreign-linked entities.
“We must take the threat of the Chinese Communist Party’s influence in our society and on college campuses seriously,” Murphy said. “Over the last several years we have seen the malign influence on campuses grow. This legislation is for the security of the United States and our way of life.” He further said that colleges and universities should recognize that “the CCP is buying influence via their programs in this country” and called for divestment from companies connected to Beijing.
Murphy is currently serving his fourth term as a representative for North Carolina’s Third Congressional District. He is involved with several committees, including the House Ways and Means Committee and the House Veterans Affairs Committee. Additionally, he co-chairs the House GOP Doctors Caucus. According to House.gov, Murphy holds degrees from Davidson College and the University of North Carolina’s School of Medicine and is noted as Congress’s only practicing surgeon.
