[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 150 (Monday, September 19, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H7900-H7902]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SECURING GLOBAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS ACT
Mr. MALINOWSKI. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 8503) to require the development of a strategy to promote
the use of secure telecommunications infrastructure worldwide, and for
other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 8503
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Securing Global
Telecommunications Act''.
SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
It is the sense of Congress as follows:
(1) The United States Government should promote and take
steps to ensure American leadership in strategic technology
industries, including telecommunications infrastructure and
other information and communications technologies.
(2) The expansive presence of companies linked to the
Chinese Communist Party, such as Huawei, in global mobile
networks and the national security implications thereof, such
as the ability of the People's Republic of China to
exfiltrate the information flowing through those networks and
shut off countries' internet access, demonstrates the
importance of the United States remaining at the
technological frontier and the dire consequences of falling
behind.
(3) The significant cost of countering Huawei's market
leadership in telecommunications infrastructure around the
world underscores the urgency of supporting the
competitiveness of United States companies in next-generation
information and communication technology.
[[Page H7901]]
(4) To remain a leader at the International
Telecommunication Union (ITU) and preserve the ITU's
technical integrity, the United States must work with
emerging economies and developing nations to bolster global
telecommunications security and protect American national
security interests.
(5) Multilateral cooperation with like-minded partners and
allies is critical to carry out the significant effort of
financing and promoting secure networks around the world and
to achieve market leadership of trusted vendors in this
sector.
SEC. 3. STRATEGY FOR SECURING GLOBAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS
INFRASTRUCTURE.
(a) Strategy Required.--Not later than 90 days after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State
shall develop and submit to the Committees on Foreign Affairs
of the House of Representatives and Energy and Commerce and
the Committees on Foreign Relations and Commerce, Science,
and Transportation and of the Senate a strategy, to be known
as the ``Strategy to Secure Global Telecommunications
Infrastructure'' (referred to in this Act as the
``Strategy''), to promote the use of secure telecommunication
infrastructure in countries other than the United States.
(b) Consultation Required.--The Secretary of State shall
consult with the President of the Export-Import Bank of the
United States, the Chief Executive Officer of the Development
Finance Corporation, the Administrator of the United States
Agency for International Development, the Director of the
Trade and Development Agency, the Chair of the Federal
Communications Commission, and the Assistant Secretary of
Commerce for Communications and Information, in developing
the Strategy, which shall consist of an approach led by the
Department of State using the policy tools, and informed by
the technical expertise, of the other Federal entities so
consulted to achieve the goal described in subsection (a).
(c) Elements.--The Strategy shall also include sections on
each of the following:
(1) Mobile networks, including a description of efforts by
countries other than the United States to--
(A) promote trusted Open RAN technologies while protecting
against any security risks posed by untrusted vendors in Open
RAN networks;
(B) use financing mechanisms to assist ``rip-and-replace''
projects and to incentivize countries to choose trusted
equipment vendors;
(C) bolster multilateral cooperation, especially with
developing countries and emerging economies, to promote the
deployment of trusted wireless networks worldwide; and
(D) collaborate with trusted private sector companies to
counter Chinese market leadership in the telecom equipment
industry.
(2) Data centers, including a description of efforts to--
(A) utilize financing mechanisms to incentivize countries
other than the United States to choose trusted data center
providers; and
(B) bolster multilateral cooperation, especially with
developing countries and emerging economies, to promote the
deployment of trusted data centers worldwide.
(3) Sixth (and future) generation technologies (6G),
including a description of efforts to--
(A) deepen cooperation with like-minded countries to
promote United States and allied market leadership in 6G
networks and technologies; and
(B) increase buy-in from developing countries and emerging
countries on trusted technologies.
(4) Low-Earth orbit satellites, aerostats, and
stratospheric balloons, including a description of efforts to
work with trusted private sector companies to retain the
ability to quickly provide internet connection in response to
emergency situations.
SEC. 4. REPORT ON MALIGN INFLUENCE AT THE INTERNATIONAL
TELECOMMUNICATION UNION.
(a) Report.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall develop
and submit to the Committees on Foreign Affairs and Energy
and Commerce of the House of Representatives and the
Committees on Foreign Relations and Commerce, Science, and
Transportation the Senate a report on Russian and Chinese
strategies and efforts--
(1) to expand the mandate of the International
Telecommunication Union (ITU) to cover internet governance
policy; and
(2) to advance other actions favorable to authoritarian
interests and/or hostile to fair, industry-led processes.
(b) Elements.--The report required by subsection (a) shall
also identify efforts by China and Russia--
(1) to increase the ITU's jurisdiction over internet
governance and to propose internet governance standards at
the ITU;
(2) to leverage their private sector actors to advance
their national interests through the ITU, including--
(A) encouraging Chinese and Russian companies to leverage
their market power to pressure other member countries to
deliver favorable decisions on ITU elections; and
(B) China's efforts to leverage Huawei's role as the
primary telecommunications equipment and services provider
for many developing countries to compel such countries to
deliver favorable decisions on standards proposals, election
victories, candidate selection, and other levers of power at
the ITU; and
(3) to use the influence of Chinese and Russian nationals
serving in the ITU to advantage the companies, standards
decisions, and candidates that advance the CCP and Kremlin's
interests.
(c) Form.--The report required by this section shall be
submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified
annex.
SEC. 5. REPORT ON MULTILATERAL COORDINATION.
Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of
this Act, the Secretary of State, in coordination with the
President of the Export-Import Bank of the United States, the
Administrator for the United States Agency on International
Development, the Chief Executive Officer of the Development
Finance Corporation, the Chair of the Federal Communications
Commission, and the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for
Communications and Information, shall develop and submit to
the Committees on Foreign Affairs and Energy and Commerce and
of the House of Representatives and the Committees Foreign
Relations and on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and of
the Senate a report that identifies opportunities for greater
collaboration with allies and partners to promote secure
information and communications technology infrastructure in
countries other than the United States, including through--
(1) joint financing efforts to help trusted vendors win
bids to build out information and communications technology
(ICT) infrastructure;
(2) incorporating ICT focuses into allies' and partners'
international development finance initiatives; and
(3) diplomatic coordination to emphasize the importance of
secure telecommunications infrastructure to countries using
untrusted providers.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New
Jersey (Mr. Malinowski) and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Malinowski).
General Leave
Mr. MALINOWSKI. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks
and include extraneous material on H.R. 8503.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from New Jersey?
There was no objection.
Mr. MALINOWSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 8503, the Securing
Global Telecommunications Act, introduced by the gentlewoman from North
Carolina (Ms. Manning) and the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Kim).
A week from today, the International Telecommunication Union, the
U.N. organization that oversees global telecom and tech issues, will
have a plenipotentiary for the first time in 4 years. Crucially, among
the elections to be held during this time, there will be an election to
decide who will lead the agency as its secretary general.
The current secretary general is a Chinese national who has used his
position to bolster the PRC's interests. The upcoming race to decide
who will next lead the organization is between an American, Doreen
Bogdan-Martin, and a Russian national, Rashid Ismailov. The Russians
and Chinese have consistently staked out positions on internet
governance that would make the communications sector more friendly for
authoritarian governments such as they, governments that want to crack
down on human rights, on freedom of speech and expression.
This bill is an answer that stakes out a better telecommunications
future. It calls on the administration to submit a strategy on how to
promote American economic and security interests in critical
technologies like 5G, Open RAN, and low-Earth orbit satellite internet.
The bill positions the United States to lead on global
telecommunications issues and requires the administration to increase
reporting and transparency on Russian and PRC activities in the
telecommunications sector. This information will help us better
coordinate with like-minded democracies on digital and internet freedom
and security issues.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join us in supporting the bill,
and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of
H.R. 8503, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to support the Securing Global
Telecommunications Act introduced by two of my colleagues on the
Foreign Affairs Committee, the gentlewoman from North
[[Page H7902]]
Carolina (Ms. Manning) and the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Kim).
The Chinese Communist Party does not hide the fact that its end goal
is to replace freedom and democracy with dictatorship and oppression,
and they use advanced communications such as 5G networks to spread
their malign influence. The CCP seeks to spread that influence further
by dominating the international standards-setting bodies that set the
rules of the road for emerging technologies to skew those standards and
industries toward their interests and industries.
This bipartisan bill seeks to bolster U.S. efforts that are already
underway, but I think it takes it even further to promote secure
telecommunications infrastructure around the world.
It will require, for example, that the U.S. Department of State
submit a report on Chinese and Russian efforts to advance their
interests at international standards-setting bodies, as my colleague
from New Jersey just pointed out, like the International
Telecommunication Union, or ITU, and to identify opportunities for
multilateral collaboration to promote secure telecom providers.
Lastly, it codifies the International Digital Economy and
Telecommunication Advisory Committee, which the State Department
created to provide expert advice to the Bureau of Cyberspace and
Digital Policy on ICT policy matters.
Mr. Speaker, it is a good bill and deserves the support of Members on
both sides. I urge its support, and I yield back the balance of my
time.
Mr. MALINOWSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman
from North Carolina (Ms. Manning).
Ms. MANNING. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend, Representative
Malinowski, for yielding. I thank Chairman Meeks for his leadership in
advancing this legislation to the floor, and the gentlewoman from
California (Mrs. Kim), my friend, for partnering with me on this
important bill.
I rise today in support of my Securing Global Telecommunications Act,
a bipartisan bill I introduced to help combat China's attempts to
dominate the next generation of critical technology.
Mr. Speaker, many of the products we use every day are connected to
telecommunications networks, and they rely on a nearly invisible set of
internationally agreed-upon standards.
Our strategic competitors, Russia and China, want to gain an unfair
advantage over these critical areas. They are determined to set the
rules of the road for the next generation of critical technologies like
5G and AI. They are relentless in their efforts to provide their own
companies, like Huawei and ZTE, with an unfair advantage while shutting
out all competitors.
This effort is not just about helping their businesses win. This is
about controlling a key strategic domain, which poses serious risks and
consequences for the U.S. and global security. That is because the PRC
has demonstrated its willingness to abuse technology to steal data,
conduct surveillance, and invade privacy, all to further its
geopolitical agenda and bolster its model of a closed, authoritarian
system of governance.
{time} 1515
The United States and our allies must work together to counter this
threat. We need to develop and deploy more secure and better trusted
tech and telecommunications infrastructure.
My bipartisan bill will help do just that.
First, the bill will require a comprehensive strategy for securing
global telecommunications infrastructure worldwide, incorporating
mobile networks, data centers, and emerging technologies like LEO
satellites and 6G.
We can't afford to be complacent about this challenge. We must have a
cohesive strategy to address this issue.
This bill will also help crack down on Russia's and China's malign
influence at the International Telecommunication Union, or ITU--a
little-known but incredibly important U.N. organization that could
determine the standards behind the future of the digital world. It is
vital that America and allied countries are in the room at the table
and leading the charge to set next-generation technology standards.
Finally, the bill would encourage the U.S. to work closely with our
allies and partners to promote and finance secure networks and trusted
vendors, without having to rely on Chinese state-owned companies that
threaten our security.
Taken together, these important measures will help us shore up key
gaps and vulnerabilities, while countering China's strategic technology
ambitions.
Mr. Speaker, our adversaries hope and believe that they can achieve
undue influence and dominance over international telecom infrastructure
and technical standards.
This bill is a step toward stopping their unfettered aggression in an
area that is of vital strategic importance.
It will help preserve our global leadership in tech and telecom, keep
our companies competitive, and protect the safety and integrity of the
networks we rely on every day.
Once again, I thank Chairman Meeks for his leadership in this area. I
urge all my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill.
Mr. MALINOWSKI. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 8503, the Securing Global
Telecommunications Act, is important legislation that will position our
country to be a leader in the world's telecommunications future. It
will ensure that the U.S. Government is taking steps to shore up and
protect our digital infrastructure at home and help us better
coordinate with like-minded democracies as we work to thwart Russia and
the PRC's malign efforts to crack down on dissent and freedom of
expression.
I again thank my colleagues, Representatives Manning and Kim for
introducing this legislation. I hope my colleagues will join me in
supporting this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Malinowski) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 8503, as amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. ROSENDALE. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.
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