US adversaries made nearly 30,000 visits to sensitive labs under Biden admin, bombshell data show

Citizens of China, Iran, and Russia made close to 30,000 trips to sensitive American research facilities during the Biden 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 initially sought data on visits from 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.

“After COVID-19 we should have learned our lesson about trusting Communist China’s scientists,” she told The Post at the time. “We know our adversaries run sophisticated espionage programs to steal research, we do not need to invite them in.”

Her initial inquiry to the Biden administration went unanswered, so the senator followed up with the Trump administration last year.

“The Department of Energy remains steadfast in its mission to protect our national security, economic competitiveness, and scientific leadership,” Wright stressed.

Some estimates indicate that Chinese espionage is costing the US $600 billion a year in intellectual property theft.

Ernst previously drafted legislation aimed at safeguarding American trade secrets, including a 2022 bill aimed at stopping Chinese and Russian firms from getting sensitive tech secrets from Small Business Administration programs.

The retiring senator also supported legislation to bar research funds from going to adversarial nations.

“As our adversaries seek any potential advantage over us, we cannot give them a single foothold to undermine the United States of America,” she added. “We need to know exactly how this was allowed to happen, what our adversaries learned or obtained, and make sure we establish stronger safeguards.”