Universities face funding threat as lawmakers target schools with ties to adversarial nations

China, for example, has been a major source of foreign influence in American education through its Confucius Classrooms, which states like Oklahoma have cracked down on.

Stefanik again is out in front of an education protection endeavor, telling Fox News Digital she is part of a bicameral, bipartisan group focused on keeping foreign influence away from America's young and growing minds.

The Defending American Research Act prevents any institution of higher education from receiving federal research funding for five years if it receives funds from certain foreign countries, including Qatar, Venezuela, Turkey and North Korea.

She added that many American youths are seeking collegiate education at southern schools where the liberal northeast and west coast influence is more muted.

Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., and Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., are joining Stefanik in the effort, and Scott told Fox News Digital that America "has enemies" and should "start acting like it" when it comes to their influence on higher education.

"Countries like Communist China and terror-supporting Qatar should not be able to use America's colleges and universities as outposts to spy on us, steal sensitive research and spread anti-American propaganda, but we've been letting them do it for years," Scott said.

While the list includes more obvious entries like North Korea, Cuba and China, Qatar is also included, even as it remains a somewhat neutral or cooperative partner on national security concerns such as evacuations from Afghanistan and the Iran conflict.

However, Stefanik said when it comes to its influence on U.S. education, her research led her to "billions of dollars" from Doha appearing to prop up antisemitic interests and "pro-terror professors" at some universities, including in her home state.

"I think that's one of the major ways we need to push back on this foreign influence that's really shifting away from the founding missions of these higher education institutions," she said.