[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 105 (Tuesday, June 21, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H5707-H5709]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
{time} 1600
PROMOTING UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP IN 5G ACT OF 2021
Ms. MANNING. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 1934) 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,
as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 1934
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 2021''.
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
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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 THE UNITED
STATES AT INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS-SETTING
BODIES.
(a) In General.--The President shall establish an
interagency working group to work with allies and
international partners to increase and align their engagement
at multilateral international organizations, such as the
International Telecommunications Union (ITU), that address
communications networks, standards, and security, including
5th and future generations mobile telecommunications and
infrastructure.
(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 the Department of
Commerce and each Federal department or agency the President
determines appropriate.
(c) Function.--The Secretary of State shall coordinate with
the members of the interagency working group to develop and
implement a strategy for diplomatic engagement with allies
and partners and monitor engagement by the Government of the
People's Republic of China and entities under its ownership,
control, or influence at multilateral international
organizations described in subsection (a).
(d) Briefing.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the interagency working group
shall provide to the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the
Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations and
the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the
Senate a briefing that includes--
(1) 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; and
(2) a discussion of China's presence and activities at
multilateral international organizations described in
subsection (a) 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, as well as the success rate of proposals
by Chinese entities adopted into standards at such
organizations compared to the engagement and success rate of
proposals adopted by the United States or its allies and
partners, and noting any mandatory domestic Chinese standards
that are adopted at such organizations.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
North Carolina (Ms. Manning) and the gentlewoman from California (Mrs.
Kim) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from North Carolina.
General Leave
Ms. MANNING. 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. 1934, as amended.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from North Carolina?
There was no objection.
Ms. MANNING. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1934, the Promoting
United States International Leadership in 5G Act.
Let me start by thanking Ranking Member McCaul, who has been an
important advocate in advancing U.S. leadership in global telecoms and
5G technology. Countering China's and Russia's malign influence in this
industry is critical for protecting our national security, and I thank
him for his bipartisan work in furtherance of these ends.
A big part of advancing U.S. 5G leadership is ensuring that America
and allied countries are in the room, at the table, and leading the
charge to set next-generation technology standards.
No organization is more critical to that process than a little-known
U.N. organization called the International Telecommunication Union, or
ITU.
For years, China and Russia have quietly targeted the ITU as a
central battleground to advance their strategic technology interests.
They have sought to use the ITU to unfairly advantage their telecom
companies, giving Putin and the PRC power over critical communications
infrastructure worldwide.
For the past 8 years, a Chinese national has served as Secretary
General of the ITU. China has used this perch to favor its own
companies and make the rules of the digital road more favorable to
authoritarians. The Secretary General has defended Huawei against
critics and promoted the PRC's Belt and Road campaign. With the ITU as
its forum, Beijing has worked to unfairly promote Chinese companies'
technical standards.
Now, a pivotal election for the next ITU Secretary General is set to
take place in September between a fantastic American candidate, Doreen
Bogdan-Martin, and former Huawei executive and Russian deputy telecom
minister, Rashid Ismailov, whom China and Russia back.
Should the United States and its allies across the world fail to win
this election, the ITU's technical integrity would be endangered and
authoritarian governments around the globe would be empowered. A
Russian Secretary General would extend Putin's ability to exert
influence in the rules-based international system for which he has
shown the utmost contempt.
This bill is important because the U.S. must increase its engagement
at the ITU and work with our allies and partners to counter China's and
Russia's malign influence. H.R. 1934 would do just that, by forming an
interagency working group to align our strategy at the ITU with our
allies and monitor China's influence in the organization. It would also
strengthen much-needed coordination with Congress so we can be
supportive partners in this strategic competition.
We cannot be complacent about the coming election. The battle for
influence playing out at the ITU is one we cannot afford to lose, and
H.R. 1934 is an essential tool for advancing U.S. leadership in this
powerful organization.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this effort by voting
for this legislation today, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. KIM of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this important bipartisan
legislation, the Promoting United States International Leadership in 5G
Act.
Mr. Speaker, the Chinese Communist Party does not hide the fact that
they will do whatever it takes to become the prominent global power,
especially by taking control of the world's 5G networks. The CCP's
espionage tactics, theft of U.S. intellectual property, and cyber
hacking threaten our national security and our competitiveness in the
international community. Allowing the CCP to establish the global
standards for 5G and push countries to adopt 5G technology from CCP-
linked companies like Huawei will only increase the amount of control
and influence that the CCP has globally.
This bill provides increased cooperation between the United States
and our allies to identify and counter security risks posed by Chinese
Communist Party-linked companies in 5G. In addition, the bill requires
the State Department to develop a diplomatic strategy to increase
engagement with partners at the international standards setting bodies,
such as the International Telecommunications Union, ITU, which sets
global standards for technologies such as 5G.
There is an important upcoming election at the ITU which will decide
the future of global telecommunications for years to come. It is
imperative that we pass this bill today so that the United States and
our allies can put up a united front against a Russian- and CCP-aligned
candidate for Secretary General of the ITU. Russia's campaign to elect
a Russian national, who is a former Huawei executive, to serve as the
secretary general of the ITU is indicative of Russia's and China's
efforts to use the international organization to promote their
interests and malign influence.
The United States should ensure that we are coordinated in driving
support for the United States candidate, Doreen Bogdan-Martin, for the
Secretary General of the ITU, but the State Department should also be
engaging on the important down-ballot races at the ITU.
There are four other posts of significance within the ITU's
leadership structure, including the director of the ITU Development
Sector, ITU-D. The ITU-D plays a particularly vital role in
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supporting multilateral cooperation for fair and open internet
governance through trustworthy deployment of digital technologies in
the developing world. The United States must be doing everything we can
to ensure Russian and Chinese malign influence does not grow. This bill
will help.
Mr. Speaker, in closing, I thank Ranking Member Mike McCaul and
Representative Cuellar for their work on this legislation. This bill
will help ensure that the United States is doing all we can to stop
Russian and Chinese malign influence taking control of the world's 5G
networks.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield
back the balance of my time.
Ms. MANNING. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Manning) that the House suspend
the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1934, 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. CLOUD. Mr. 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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