[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 87 (Wednesday, May 19, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E555]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   INTRODUCTION OF THE TRANSATLANTIC TELECOMMUNICATIONS SECURITY ACT

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                           HON. MARCY KAPTUR

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 19, 2021

  Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, as co-chair of the Congressional Ukraine, 
Hungary, and Poland Caucuses, Member of the Baltic Caucus, and friend 
to liberty-lovers across Central and Eastern Europe, I rise to 
introduce the bipartisan Transatlantic Telecommunications Security Act. 
I am thankful to my colleague Congressman Kinzinger of Illinois for his 
co-leadership and partnership on this measure, as well as his 
commitment to liberty in Europe.
  The United States and our NATO allies and partners in Central and 
Eastern Europe face down increased threats from global actors like a 
rising China and a belligerent Russia that seek to export their malign 
influence and undermine democratic institutions. China seeks to 
compromise allied critical digital infrastructure by using state-linked 
companies like Huawei and ZTE to unfairly induce our allies to procure 
insecure telecommunications equipment and services. Given immense 
economic potential from rapid 50 deployment, European countries feel 
significant pressure to use dangerous Huawei equipment despite the 
political risks.
  Bipartisan current and former U.S. officials and civil society 
members have recognized the threat of malign influence over critical 
telecommunications networks. 5G networks will serve as the backbone of 
artificial intelligence platforms with immense national security and 
domestic economic implications.
  Given these critical national security needs, the United States must 
provide our allies alternatives to Chinese financing and provide 
increased diplomatic support to our allies to ensure secure 
telecommunications lines. This legislation would authorize the U.S. 
Development Finance Corporation to provide financing for cross-border 
5G telecommunications infrastructure development to our allies. This 
financing is key to remove risky and threatening equipment and replace 
it with secure equipment. The legislation seeks to increase resilience 
in countries in the region whose infrastructure deficit from the 
Soviet-era makes them especially vulnerable to malign Chinese 
influence, including among nations in the Three Seas Initiative.
  Additionally, this bill directs the Secretary of State and other 
relevant agency heads to prioritize diplomacy and project support with 
European allies and partners to develop 5G markets that are inclusive, 
transparent, economically viable, socially sustainable, and compliant 
with international law. Finally, this legislation ensures the United 
States is leading with our European allies to develop international SG 
standards that favor democratic institutions, not further 
authoritarianism spread by China and Russia.
  I am so thankful for the support of the Central and East Europe 
Coalition, the National Federation of Croatian Americans, as well as 
the embassies of Czechia, Estonia, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, North 
Macedonia, Poland, and Slovenia.
  The U.S. Congress must act to ensure the security of our NATO allies 
and partners. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to 
support this legislation and look forward to working with Rep. 
Kinzinger towards this bill's passage.

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