[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

[[Page H5708]]

     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

[[Page H5709]]

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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