While most American universities that once hosted Confucius Institutes have shut down those Chinese government–funded language-instruction centers in recent years, some remain. And despite a law intended to restrict federal defense-research funding from going to those schools that maintain Confucius Institutes, the Pentagon has the authority to waive the relevant funding prohibition.

Congress is getting close to closing that loophole and will clear a procedural hurdle to do so, National Review has learned. The House Armed Services Committee is expected to attach an amendment offered by Representative Jim Banks phasing out that waiver process to this coming year’s National Defense Authorization Act in a vote tonight.

If the NDAA is enacted with the Banks amendment, schools with Confucius Institutes would be barred from receiving federal research funds in the first place, starting in October 2026. And the Pentagon’s ability to issue waivers would be further constrained until that date.

The issue of Confucius Institute waivers came up recently when an investigation by the House Select Committee on the CCP found information indicating that the Pentagon might have issued a waiver to allow Alfred University to keep its Confucius Institute while also receiving a $13.5 million Pentagon research contract focused on materials for use in hypersonic weapons.

Representative Mike Gallagher, the chairman of the committee, asked the Pentagon to provide a list of the waivers it has already issued, which would include any decisions involving Alfred University. Subsequently, a lawyer for Alfred University told Gallagher that the school had decided to close its Confucius Institute.