[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 4 (Wednesday, January 8, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H30-H33]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   PROMOTING UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP IN 5G ACT OF 2019

  Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 3763) to direct the Secretary of State to provide assistance and 
technical expertise to enhance the representation and leadership of the 
United States at international standards-setting bodies that set 
standards for 5th and future generations mobile telecommunications 
systems and infrastructure, and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 3763

       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 ``Promoting United States 
     International Leadership in 5G Act of 2019''.

     SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

       It is the sense of Congress that--
       (1) the United States and its allies and partners should 
     maintain participation and leadership at international 
     standards-setting bodies for 5th and future generations 
     mobile telecommunications systems and infrastructure;
       (2) the United States should work with its allies and 
     partners to encourage and facilitate the development of 
     secure supply chains and networks for 5th and future 
     generations mobile telecommunications systems and 
     infrastructure; and
       (3) the maintenance of a high standard of security in 
     telecommunications and cyberspace between the United States 
     and its allies and partners is a national security interest 
     of the United States.

     SEC. 3. ENHANCING REPRESENTATION AND LEADERSHIP OF UNITED 
                   STATES AT INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS-SETTING 
                   BODIES.

       (a) In General.--The President shall establish an 
     interagency working group to provide assistance and technical 
     expertise to enhance the representation and leadership of the 
     United States at international standards-setting bodies that 
     set standards for equipment, systems, software, and 
     virtually-defined networks that support 5th and future 
     generations mobile telecommunications systems and 
     infrastructure, such as the International Telecommunication 
     Union and the 3rd Generation Partnership Project. The 
     President shall also work with allies and partners, as well 
     as the private sector, to increase productive engagement.
       (b) Interagency Working Group.--The interagency working 
     group described in subsection (a) shall--
       (1) be chaired by the Secretary of State or a designee of 
     the Secretary of State; and
       (2) consist of the head (or designee) of each Federal 
     department or agency the President determines appropriate.
       (c) Briefing.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, and subsequently thereafter as 
     provided in paragraph (2), the interagency working group 
     described in subsection (a) shall provide to the Committee on 
     Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the 
     Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate a briefing that 
     shall include--
       (A) a strategy to promote United States leadership at 
     international standards-setting bodies for equipment, 
     systems, software, and virtually-defined networks relevant to 
     5th and future generation mobile telecommunications systems 
     and infrastructure, taking into account the different 
     processes followed by the various international standard-
     setting bodies;
       (B) a strategy for diplomatic engagement with allies and 
     partners to share security risk information and findings 
     pertaining to equipment that supports or is used in 5th and 
     future generations mobile telecommunications systems and 
     infrastructure and cooperation on mitigating such risks;
       (C) a discussion of China's presence and activities at 
     international standards-setting bodies relevant to 5th and 
     future generation mobile telecommunications systems and 
     infrastructure, including information on the differences in 
     the scope and scale of China's engagement at such bodies 
     compared to engagement by the United States or its allies and 
     partners and the security risks raised by Chinese proposals 
     in such standards-setting bodies; and
       (D) a strategy for engagement with private sector 
     communications and information service providers, equipment 
     developers, academia, federally funded research and 
     development centers, and other private-sector stakeholders to 
     propose and develop secure standards for equipment, systems, 
     software, and virtually-defined networks that support 5th and 
     future generation mobile telecommunications systems and 
     infrastructure.
       (2) Subsequent briefings.--Upon request by the Committee on 
     Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the 
     Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate, or as 
     determined appropriate by the chair of the interagency 
     working group described in subsection (a), the interagency 
     working group shall provide to the Committee on Foreign 
     Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
     Foreign Relations of the Senate an updated briefing including 
     the matters described in subparagraphs (A) through (D) of 
     paragraph (1).

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Nevada (Ms. Titus) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. McCaul) each will 
control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Nevada.


                             General Leave

  Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 
5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on H.R. 3763.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Nevada?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, let me start by thanking our ranking member of the 
Committee on Foreign Affairs, Mr. McCaul

[[Page H31]]

of Texas, for his hard work on the bills that we are considering.
  Mr. Speaker, in the years ahead, 5G will revolutionize the way we use 
technology. From transportation to healthcare to entertainment, the way 
people interact with wireless internet devices will change 
dramatically. As it does, there will be massive economic benefits, but 
only if we are able to take advantage of them. There will also be risks 
as people become more dependent on wireless communications and generate 
even more data about themselves and how they live their lives.
  Mr. Speaker, 5G will bring with it substantial national security, 
cybersecurity, and privacy challenges. Massive networks in the United 
States and allied countries could become vulnerable to spying eyes and 
cyberattacks. That is why there is near universal agreement on both 
sides of the aisle that American leadership will be essential as we 
transition to 5G technology, both to seize on the opportunities and 
guard against the risks.
  We have four bills on the floor today that address the future 
expansion of 5G telecommunications systems across the United States and 
around the world. These bills will protect American consumers, 
strengthen our national security and that of our allies, and help make 
sure the United States is taking all the steps necessary to pave the 
way for a 5G future that enhances our lives, brings us closer together, 
and protects against anyone who wants to exploit this technology for 
harm.
  The bill before us, the Promoting United States International 
Leadership in 5G Act, will help chart that path forward. This 
legislation requires the development of a strategy to promote American 
leadership at international standards-setting bodies for 5G. It directs 
our agencies across the government to assess security risks posed by 
China's engagement in this area, and it increases cooperation between 
the U.S. and its allies and partners in identifying and countering 
those risks.
  It is an important start in what will be a massive undertaking for 
our government and our private sector. I am pleased to support it.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

                              {time}  1430

  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise today in support of my Promoting United States International 
Leadership in 5G Act of 2019, which I am pleased to introduce with my 
good friend, Mr. Cuellar, who is also from the great State of Texas.
  Texas is home to many leading technology and communication companies 
and is an innovation hub.
  Cutting-edge technology like 5G holds the promise to create millions 
of jobs and add hundreds of billions of dollars to the United States' 
economy.
  The standards which are set at international bodies, such as the ITU 
and the 3GPP, are critical to the future of 5G. They establish a 
uniform criterion across devices, markets, and more.
  For example, standards are the reason that your USB memory stick fits 
into any USB port on any device. And for years, these standards were 
adopted on merit.
  However, over the last few years, China has been using coercive and 
underhanded tactics at international bodies to adopt Chinese technology 
in 5G standards. These efforts unfairly benefit Chinese companies and 
empower the Communist Party of China.
  The 2018 report to Congress by the U.S.-China Economic and Security 
Review Commission states that: ``The Chinese Government is encouraging 
its companies to play a greater role in international 5G standards 
organizations to ensure they set global standards; such leadership may 
result in higher revenues and exports from internationally-accepted 
intellectual property and technology and more global influence over 
future wireless technology and standards development.''
  My bill will ensure the U.S. maintains and, in some cases, increases 
leadership at the international standards-setting bodies.
  Specifically, it creates an international working group to provide 
assistance and technical expertise to enhance our representation and 
leadership at these bodies.
  Additionally, my bill will create strategies for increasing 
engagement with our allies, partners, and the private sector. These 
strategies will help increase the United States' leadership in the 
global race to develop and deploy 5G and future generations of mobile 
telecommunications systems and infrastructure.
  Finally, my bill will provide an assessment of Chinese activities at 
those international bodies. This assessment will help us to ensure that 
the standards-setting bodies are not unduly influenced to adopt 
standards that unfairly advantage Communist Party of China connected 
and supported companies like Huawei.
  China seeks to control critical industries and infrastructure by 
making them reliant on Chinese technologies. These Chinese companies 
are beholden to the laws and regulations in China that demand 
cooperation with Chinese intelligence services. The free flow of 
information and security of a country's data cannot be guaranteed using 
Communist Party of China supplied technology.
  There are credible reports of China taking advantage of network 
equipment supplied by its companies for intelligence advantage that 
date back almost 2 decades.
  Therefore, Mr. Speaker, it is imperative that the United States leads 
at these standards-setting organizations so we are not beholden to 
Communist Party of China controlled technologies that will severely 
impact the freedoms and securities that we value here in the United 
States.
  I will say the war on 5G is on, and some would argue in the IC that 
we are losing that war, and we need to compete with China, and we need 
to win. I think this bill will go a long way towards the United States 
taking the lead and backing the Communist Chinese Party from its 
intelligence service data collection. I urge support of the bill, and I 
reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, I yield the balance of my time to the 
gentlewoman from Virginia (Ms. Spanberger), and I ask unanimous consent 
that she may control that time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Nevada?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. SPANBERGER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Cuellar).
  Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairwoman for yielding to me 
and for bringing this measure to the floor.
  I thank Chairman Engel; and I also thank my good friend from Texas, 
Ranking Member   Michael McCaul, for his leadership on this particular 
issue, and for making this bill a bipartisan bill, which is a very, 
very important thing to do nowadays.
  This bipartisan legislation will enhance the leadership of the United 
States at the international standards-setting bodies for 5G mobile 
telecom systems and infrastructure.
  As we all know, and as has been mentioned, China is the most active 
espionage power when it comes to industrial espionage, theft of 
intellectual property, and actions against nations and regimes; and we 
certainly see this as a threat.
  Once China's 5G technology has been installed in a country, China 
owns that nation's data, including the personal information of its 
people. This theft results in unacceptable national security risks and 
endangers allied information-sharing.
  Market analysis shows that 5G technologies will create--if we do this 
ourselves here--up to 3 million new American jobs and add over $500 
billion to our country's gross domestic product.
  This bill aims to increase cooperation between the United States and 
its allies, and partners, in identifying and countering this risk from 
China.
  Furthermore, this bill will increase America's global leadership on 
5G technology and provide an alternative to China's dangerous state-run 
companies, which currently dominate the 5G market.

  I want to thank the ranking member, Mr. McCaul, and Chairman Engel 
for doing this bipartisan legislation. Again, we have got to make sure 
that our priorities are clear and achievable when it comes to facing 
this danger.
  I ask all Members to support this legislation.

[[Page H32]]

  

  Mr. McCAUL. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the 
gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Meadows).
  Mr. MEADOWS. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his leadership 
on this important piece of legislation and I rise in support of it.
  I can tell you, there are a number of comments that are often made 
about Texas. We see that we have got Mr. McCaul; we have got Mr. 
Cuellar; we have got others behind me from Texas, and one of those 
sayings is that everything is bigger in Texas.
  But the more appropriate line here is, don't mess with Texas. And 
this legislation is all about making sure that our national security is 
put first and foremost at the highest priority to make sure that we are 
competing internationally, right now.
  Right now, our Chinese counterparts at Huawei are deploying this kind 
of technology in countries that we would normally associate as our 
allies. So Mr. McCaul is right in not only leading on this piece of 
legislation, but to stress the importance of competing now.
  Now, in part of my district we are looking for 1G, not 5G. We are 
just hoping for some kind of cellular service. But I can tell you, the 
country who builds it first will win on the national security level. 
They will win because consumers are looking for that next generation of 
technology as we become more dependent and reliant on our cell phones.
  Additionally, we have reports that would suggest that some of the 
people working for Huawei right now actually work for the Chinese 
Government as well; that it is not an independent company. In fact, not 
only are they working for the Chinese Government, but they are also 
working in cyber for the Chinese Government. And we somehow think that 
this is going to work out well for the United States of America?
  It is time that we act. It is time that we come together. I want to 
applaud the gentlewoman opposite for her willingness to work, for 
Chairman Engel, and Mr. Cuellar, to come together in a bipartisan 
manner.
  We need to act. Time is slipping away. And if we don't act, there 
will be great repercussions, not only for consumers, but for our 
national security interest.
  I proudly urge support of this bill, and I thank the gentleman for 
his leadership.
  Ms. SPANBERGER. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. McCAUL. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the 
gentleman from the great State of Texas (Mr. Taylor).
  Mr. TAYLOR. Madam Speaker, I am honored to rise today in support of a 
critical piece of legislation, H.R. 3763, the Promoting United States 
International Leadership in 5G Act of 2019, and I want to thank my 
friend and colleague from Texas' 10th District.
  There is no doubt information and technology hold immense power. And 
it is amazing to be in the same building where the very first Morse 
code telegram was received so long ago, right here in this building.
  As America builds on that legacy of technology, we have an 
opportunity to help lead the next global revolution, Industry 4.0, an 
era of artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles, 3D printing, and 
cloud computing.
  I am proud to represent an area, North Texas, that plays an 
instrumental role in developing 5G; and it is imperative that we 
establish an environment in which American businesses can thrive.
  One of the companies guiding us forward in North Texas is Ericcson. 
Their North American corporate headquarters, with 3,000 employees, is 
in the Third District of Texas. Ericcson is investing in research and 
development and partnering with other strategic American players to 
accelerate 5G commercialization.
  America's leadership begins now, and we can't allow opportunities to 
shape the international conversation to pass us by, which is why this 
legislation here today is so important.
  H.R. 3763 will ensure America has a seat at the table when it comes 
to determining the global telecom standards that this era will operate 
within.
  I am proud to represent a North Texas district with business taking 
an active role in 5G development.
  I want to, again, thank my colleague,  Mike McCaul. I appreciate his 
leadership on this important issue.
  Ms. SPANBERGER. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. McCAUL. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the 
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Yoho), a member of the Foreign Affairs 
Committee.
  Mr. YOHO. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3763, the 
Promoting United States International Leadership in 5G Act of 2019.
  I want to thank my colleague, the ranking member, Mr. McCaul, for his 
work on this piece of important legislation.
  Chinese state-run companies are investing in the fifth generation, or 
5G, network development, and are seeking to dominate the global market 
in this space. This is an issue because the future of business, 
government services, medical services, consumer services, and much more 
will rely on 5G networks.
  In fact, by 2035, it is expected that the 5G technologies will create 
$12.3 trillion in sales activity and support 22 million jobs around the 
globe.
  Having Chinese state-run 5G networks powering our lives puts America 
and our allies' security at risk and will give China access to the 
daily data on people around the world. This should alarm all of us and 
cannot be accepted.
  Our daily lives rely on networks now more than ever, and the demands 
for advanced networks will only continue to increase, especially as the 
things that we use every day, even refrigerators, continue to be 
modified to need network connection. By full development, 5G should be 
able to power every network need in life.

  Further, 5G, by design, is meant to help power business equipment, 
from things like farm equipment that do not need constant connections 
but will need 5G data transmitted frequently. This is why it is so 
essential and this piece of legislation is so important.
  I hope this is a starting point and a point we can jump from, not 
just to rely on 5G, but to jump forward and leapfrog to 10G. I applaud 
this legislation because it is a great start.
  Ms. SPANBERGER. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. McCAUL. Madam Speaker, I am prepared to close. I yield myself 
such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, for decades China has been infiltrating the United 
States, espionage, intellectual property theft. I know the issue today 
is Iran, but when I asked the Secretary of State what the greatest 
threat to the United States is long term? It is China.
  We have to compete with China. We can say they are a bad actor, but 
we have to compete. And when it comes to artificial intelligence, to 
quantum computing, and yes, to 5G, if we can't compete, we lose long 
term, and the next generation is counting on us to win this race.

                              {time}  1445

  Madam Speaker, if you look at the global map, they are moving from 4G 
to 5G in almost 50 percent of the globe now. What happens when the 
Chinese come into a developing nation and plant their cheap 
telecommunications into the ground? They suck all the country's data. 
They steal all the data, and they do it because, long term, they want 
to dominate.
  We have to compete with this. We have to win. This is equivalent to 
when we had a space race to the Moon. This is equivalent to that race. 
It is a digital space race, a digital space race against the Chinese to 
win against espionage, to win against theft of intellectual property, 
and to win for the American people.
  I thank Ms. Spanberger for working with my office on this important 
measure. She is very involved in the 5G issue, and I applaud that. 
Being from the intelligence community, she knows how important this is.
  It is refreshing to have a bipartisan moment in this Chamber. I think 
that is what most Americans want us to be doing right now. I look 
forward to the passage of this bill.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. SPANBERGER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume for the purpose of closing.
  Madam Speaker, a generation ago, very few envisioned the way wireless 
technology would evolve, the way it would shape our lives and the world

[[Page H33]]

around us. With the advent of 5G, we are preparing to take another 
massive leap forward, and we need to be ready for it.
  Even with today's technology, we see risks posed by hostile 
governments, criminal networks, and those who seek to threaten our 
security, disrupt our commerce, and exploit our personal information. 
With 5G, those risks are even greater, and we cannot stand on the 
sidelines while China or any other power determines how this technology 
will be developed and managed.
  I am proud to be here today in support of the bipartisan efforts that 
we have made in this body to push up against the threats and the 
challenges we see. I am proud to join with my colleague Mr. McCaul. I 
thank the gentleman for his leadership on this very important issue.
  The bills that we are considering today, Mr. McCaul's bill in 
particular, will help ensure that our government is focused on this now 
as this 5G technology is taking shape. I support this measure. I urge 
all of my colleagues to do the same.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Ms. Titus). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Titus) that the House 
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 3763, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  The title of the bill was amended so as to read: ``A bill to direct 
the Federal Government to provide assistance and technical expertise to 
enhance the representation and leadership of the United States at 
international standards-setting bodies that set standards for 
equipment, systems, software, and virtually-defined networks that 
support 5th and future generations mobile telecommunications systems 
and infrastructure, and for other purposes.''.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________