Citizens of China, Iran, and Russia made close to 30,000 trips to sensitive American research facilities during theBiden administration, new data show.
Between Sept. 1, 2021, and Aug. 31, 2024, 28,028 Chinese nationals, 304 Iranians, and 1,608 Russians visited laboratories run by the Department of Energy,according to the office of Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa).
“While Iran’s regime chanted ‘Death to America,’ the Biden administration rolled out the red carpet for Iranian foreign nationals to enter our National Labs,” Ernst told The Post.
“They also gave entry to thousands of Chinese nationals and hundreds of Russians, who could then access and potentially steal American research.”
The length of the visits ranged from hours to months, with remote access provided in some cases, according to the Department of Energy’s Foreign Access Central Tracking System (FACTS) database.
The Energy Department oversees 17 federally funded laboratories across America.
Under the Unclassified Foreign National Access Program, foreigners from adversarial countries are subject to counterintelligence assessments.
“This process includes, at a minimum, the completion of intelligence indices checks, with additional local counterintelligence vetting conducted when dictated by factors such as the facility being visited, the duration of the visit, and the science and technology involved,” Energy Secretary Chris Wright informed Ernst in a letter.
“Due to Iran’s status as a State Sponsor of Terrorism, all Iranian citizens undergo enhanced counterintelligence review prior to access approval as required by the DOE order.”
Ernst initiallysought data on visitsfrom foreign adversaries to US labs in 2024, pointing to a report from the Senate Intelligence Committee that found “approximately 40,000 citizens of foreign countries, including more than 8,000 citizens from China and Russia, were granted access to … premises, information, or technology” in fiscal year 2023.
Source: Drudge Report
