[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 183 (Tuesday, October 19, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H5659-H5661]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
{time} 1715
INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY STRATEGY ACT
Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 4028) to require the Secretary of Commerce to report on and
develop a whole-of-Government strategy with respect to the economic
competitiveness of the information and communication technology supply
chain, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 4028
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 ``Information and
Communication Technology Strategy Act''.
SEC. 2. ECONOMIC COMPETITIVENESS OF INFORMATION AND
COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY SUPPLY CHAIN.
(a) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the
Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation of the Senate a report on the information and
communication technology supply chain that--
(1) identifies--
(A) information and communication technology critical to
the economic competitiveness of the United States; and
(B) the industrial capacity of--
(i) United States vendors that produce information and
communication technology identified under subparagraph (A);
and
(ii) trusted information and communication technology
vendors that produce information and communication technology
identified under subparagraph (A);
(2) assesses the economic competitiveness of vendors
described under paragraph (1)(B);
(3) assesses whether, and to what extent, there is a
dependence by providers of advanced telecommunications
capability in the United States on information and
communication technology identified under paragraph (1)(A)
that is not trusted;
(4) identifies--
(A) what actions by the Federal Government are needed to
support, and bolster the economic competitiveness of, trusted
information and communication technology vendors; and
(B) what Federal resources are needed to reduce dependence
by providers of advanced telecommunications capability in the
United States on companies that--
(i) produce information and communication technology; and
(ii) are not trusted; and
(5) defines lines of effort and assigns responsibilities
for a whole-of-Government response to ensuring the
competitiveness of the information and communication
technology supply chain in the United States.
(b) Whole-of-Government Strategy.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall develop, on the basis
of the report required by subsection (a), a whole-of-
Government strategy to ensure the economic competitiveness of
trusted information and communication technology vendors that
includes--
(A) recommendations on how--
(i) to strengthen the structure, resources, and authorities
of the Federal Government to support the economic
competitiveness of trusted information and communication
technology vendors, including United States vendors that are
trusted information and communication technology vendors; and
(ii) the Federal Government can address any barriers to a
market-based solution for increasing the economic
competitiveness of such information and communication
technology vendors;
(B) defined lines of effort and responsibilities for
Federal agencies to implement the strategy; and
(C) a description of--
(i) any change to a Federal program, Federal law, or
structure of the Federal Government necessary to implement
any recommendation under subparagraph (A); and
(ii) any additional Federal resource necessary to implement
any recommendation under subparagraph (A).
(2) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the submission
of the report required by subsection (a), the Secretary shall
submit to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House
of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science,
and Transportation of the Senate a report containing the
strategy developed under paragraph (1).
(c) Consultation Required.--In carrying out subsections (a)
and (b), the Secretary shall consult with--
(1) a cross-section of trusted information and
communication technology vendors; and
(2) the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Homeland
Security, the Attorney General, the Director of National
Intelligence, the Chair of the Federal Communications
Commission and any other head of an agency the Secretary
determines necessary.
(d) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Advanced telecommunications capability.--The term
``advanced telecommunications capability'' has the meaning
given that term in section 706 of the Telecommunications Act
of 1996 (47 U.S.C. 1302).
(2) Information and communication technology supply
chain.--The term ``information and communication technology
supply chain'' means all of the companies that produce
information and communication technology.
(3) Information and communication technology.--The term
``information and communication technology'' means a
technology (including software), component, or material that
enables communications by radio or wire.
(4) Not trusted.--The term ``not trusted'' means, with
respect to a company or information and communication
technology, that the company or information and communication
technology is determined by the Secretary to pose an
unacceptable risk to national security of the United States,
or the security and safety of the United States persons based
solely on one
[[Page H5660]]
or more determination described under paragraphs (1) through
(4) of section 2(c) of the Secure and Trusted Communications
Networks Act of 2019 (Public Law 116-124).
(5) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Commerce, acting through the Assistant Secretary of
Commerce for Communications and Information.
(6) Trusted.--The term ``trusted'' means, with respect to a
company, that the Secretary has not determined that the
company is not trusted.
(7) Trusted information and communication technology
vendor.--The term ``trusted information and communication
technology vendor'' means a company--
(A) that produces information and communication technology;
and
(B) that is trusted.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New
Jersey (Mr. Pallone) and the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Latta) each will
control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey.
General Leave
Mr. PALLONE. Madam 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. 4028.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from New Jersey?
There was no objection.
Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4028, the Information and
Communication Technology Strategy Act.
This bill would help ensure the United States remains a global
economic power by providing Congress with valuable insights on the
information and communication technology supply chain and a strategic
roadmap for the entire Federal Government to strengthen the
competitiveness of trusted information and communication technology
vendors.
The bill accomplishes these important objectives by requiring the
Secretary of Commerce to report to Congress on the technology most
critical to ensuring the continued economic success of the United
States. It is also supposed to examine the ability and capacity of
American manufacturers and other trusted vendors to produce this
technology.
The report will be completed through the Department's National
Telecommunications and Information Administration. It will also
identify how many of our country's communications providers depend upon
untrusted vendors of this technology, and then it will outline actions
the Federal Government can take to increase the support of trusted
vendors and eliminate the support of untrusted vendors.
Finally, the legislation calls for the Secretary of Commerce to
develop a whole-of-government strategy, along with recommendations
based on the report. The strategy is meant to enhance the economic
growth of trusted information and communication technology vendors,
both in the United States and abroad.
Madam Speaker, the bill requires that the Secretary of Commerce
consult with a wide variety of trusted information and communication
technology vendors. It also requires the Secretary to consult with the
heads of several government agencies, including the Secretary of State,
the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Attorney General, the Director
of National Intelligence, and the Chair of the FCC.
By enhancing the global supply chain for trusted information and
communication technology vendors, this bill would help strengthen the
American economy and protect our country from nontrusted parties
seeking to disrupt America's competitiveness in the information and
communication technology industry.
Madam Speaker, I want to commend Representatives Spanberger,
McNerney, Long, and Carter for their bipartisan efforts on this
legislation. I hope we can come together to move the bill forward. I
urge my colleagues to support the bill, and I reserve the balance of my
time.
Mr. LATTA. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4028, the Information
and Communication Technology Strategy Act, which was introduced by
Representatives Long, Carter, Spanberger, and McNerney.
For decades, U.S. companies and their trusted partners have been at
the forefront of wireless technology innovation. We led the world in
developing 4G, and we are now in the process of deploying and refining
5G technology. While this work continues, we must ensure supply chain
security is at the forefront.
China and other adversaries have made a concerted effort to dominate
critical components of the communication supply chain. We have already
seen how bad actors like China are trying to seed their equipment
across the globe, create technological dependencies, and steal
sensitive data to advance their own interests.
This bill, H.R. 4028, would direct the National Telecommunications
and Information Administration, NTIA, to study the economic
competitiveness of trusted information and communications technology
vendors. NTIA would be charged with leading a whole-of-government
strategy to ensure the economic competitiveness of trusted vendors and
prevent us from being dependent on companies controlled by the Chinese
Communist Party.
Only with a comprehensive understanding of the problems we face,
along with the strategy to address these problems, will we be able to
secure our networks and ensure continued U.S. leadership.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this measure, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. LATTA. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Missouri (Mr. Long), the sponsor of this legislation.
Mr. LONG. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 4028,
the Information and Communication Technology Strategy Act.
Currently, far too many U.S.-based information and communications
vendors rely on technology from foreign sources. The Information and
Communication Technology Strategy Act will require the Department of
Commerce to assess the dependence of information and communications
vendors on foreign technologies and create a whole-of-government
strategy that will bolster the economic competitiveness of U.S.
information and communications vendors and reduce their reliance on
foreign resources.
With all the supply chain disruptions we have seen this past year, it
is important to know how our domestic production of this crucial
equipment can be strengthened in the future.
If passed, this piece of legislation brings us one step closer to
making sure our Nation's information technology supply chains are
secure and free from dependence on foreign countries, such as China.
We need to continue to work in a bipartisan manner to ensure that the
whole-of-government strategy that is created through this legislation
is properly implemented. I look forward to working with my colleagues
in the Senate to ensure this legislation becomes law.
I thank all of my friends across the aisle for helping us get to this
point, and I look forward to getting this bill across the finish line.
Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my
time.
Mr. LATTA. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Georgia (Mr. Carter).
Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for
yielding.
Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 4028. This is
legislation that I was proud to originally cosponsor with my good
friend, the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Long).
Madam Speaker, my colleagues on this side of the aisle are leading to
secure our communications technology and supply chains with proposals
like this, which would create a whole-of-government strategy. We need
to make sure information technology supply chains are secure, and we
need to know how dependent U.S. information and communications
technology companies are on foreign countries like China.
To accomplish this goal, we must secure our communications supply
chain by enhancing communication between the government and private
sector on cybersecurity literacy and educating the public on cyber
hygiene practices.
[[Page H5661]]
We know that investment in innovation and preparation for the
security challenges of tomorrow's technologies are critical. Our Nation
has, unfortunately, seen firsthand the disruption caused by attacks on
American supply chains, critical infrastructure, and government
computer systems in recent years.
That is why H.R. 4028 is so important. This legislation would direct
the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to not
just conduct a study but would require it to come up with a real
solution to securing this critical supply chain.
This legislation would not only identify the risk but also develop a
strategy to secure supply chains for information and communications
technology. We must take our communications and technology supply chain
seriously, and this legislation would do just that.
Madam Speaker, I urge swift passage of H.R. 4028.
Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I ask if the gentleman is prepared to
close, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. LATTA. Madam Speaker, I am prepared to close.
As we have heard from our speakers today, it is absolutely essential
that the United States leads when we are talking about
telecommunication services and the supply chain because it is
absolutely essential for national security.
I urge passage of the legislation in the House, and I yield back the
balance of my time.
Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, again, this is part of our effort to
enhance economic growth with regard to trusted communications vendors
both here and abroad. I urge my colleagues to support the bill, and 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. Pallone) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4028, 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. BISHOP of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the
yeas and nays.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 3(s) of House Resolution
8, the yeas and nays are ordered.
Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this motion
are postponed.
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