[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 70 (Monday, April 28, 2025)]
[House]
[Pages H1665-H1666]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
FOREIGN ADVERSARY COMMUNICATIONS TRANSPARENCY ACT
Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 906) to direct the Federal Communications Commission to
publish a list of entities that hold authorizations, licenses, or other
grants of authority issued by the Commission and that have certain
foreign ownership, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 906
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 ``Foreign Adversary
Communications Transparency Act''.
SEC. 2. LIST OF ENTITIES HOLDING FCC AUTHORIZATIONS,
LICENSES, OR OTHER GRANTS OF AUTHORITY AND
HAVING CERTAIN FOREIGN OWNERSHIP.
(a) In General.--Not later than 120 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Commission shall publish on
the internet website of the Commission a list of each
entity--
(1) that holds a license issued by the Commission pursuant
to--
(A) section 309(j) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47
U.S.C. 309(j)); or
(B) the Act of May 27, 1921 (47 U.S.C. 34 et seq.; commonly
known as the ``Cable Landing Licensing Act'') and Executive
Order 10530 (3 U.S.C. 301 note; relating to the performance
of certain functions vested in or subject to the approval of
the President); and
(2) with respect to which--
(A) a covered entity holds an equity or voting interest
that is required to be reported to the Commission under the
ownership rules of the Commission; or
(B) an appropriate national security agency has determined
that a covered entity exerts control, regardless of whether
such covered entity holds an equity or voting interest as
described in subparagraph (A).
(b) Rulemaking.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 18 months after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Commission shall issue rules
to obtain information to identify each entity--
(A) that holds any authorization, license, or other grant
of authority issued by the Commission (other than a license
described in subsection (a)(1)); and
(B) with respect to which a covered entity holds an equity
or voting interest that is required to be reported to the
Commission under the ownership rules of the Commission.
(2) Placement on list.--Not later than 1 year after the
Commission issues the rules required by paragraph (1), the
Commission shall place each entity described in such
paragraph on the list published under subsection (a).
(c) Paperwork Reduction Act Exemption.--A collection of
information conducted or sponsored by the Commission to
implement this section does not constitute a collection of
information for the purposes of subchapter I of chapter 35 of
title 44, United States Code (commonly referred to as the
``Paperwork Reduction Act'').
(d) Annual Updates.--The Commission shall, not less
frequently than annually, update the list published under
subsection (a), including with respect to any entity required
to be placed on such list by subsection (b)(2).
(e) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Appropriate national security agency.--The term
``appropriate national security agency'' has the meaning
given such term in section 9 of the Secure and Trusted
Communications Networks Act of 2019 (47 U.S.C. 1608).
(2) Commission.--The term ``Commission'' means the Federal
Communications Commission.
(3) Covered country.--The term ``covered country'' means a
country specified in section 4872(f)(2) of title 10, United
States Code.
(4) Covered entity.--The term ``covered entity'' means--
(A) the government of a covered country;
(B) an entity organized under the laws of a covered
country; and
(C) a subsidiary of an entity described in subparagraph
(B), regardless of whether the subsidiary is organized under
the laws of a covered country.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Florida (Mr. Bilirakis) and the gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs.
Dingell) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Florida.
General Leave
Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks
and insert extraneous material in the Record on this particular bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Florida?
There was no objection.
Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 906, the Foreign Adversary
Communications Transparency Act, led by the gentleman from Virginia
(Mr. Wittman), my good friend.
Entities with ties to our adversaries--China, Russia, Iran, and North
Korea--are threats to our communications networks, unfortunately, but
it is a reality.
This legislation requires the FCC to publish a list of those entities
holding a license, authorization, or other authority granted by the
FCC. Understanding which adversaries are in our networks and the
threats they pose, is necessary to securing our networks.
I thank Representative Wittman, a great Member, for his leadership on
this bill, which passed last Congress by voice vote, and I urge my
colleagues to support this very important and necessary bill. I reserve
the balance of my time, Mr. Speaker.
Mrs. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 906, the Foreign Adversary
Communications Transparency Act. At the end of last year, we learned
that Salt Typhoon, a cyber espionage operation backed by the Chinese
Communist Party, infiltrated several American telecommunications
networks to gain access to detailed information on former Vice
President Harris and other political figures, as well as access
American surveillance information.
This is extremely disturbing and a stark reminder of the lengths to
which foreign adversary countries will go to use our media and
communications networks to disrupt and divide us, weakening our economy
for their own benefit. Whether it is through communications equipment,
the networks themselves, or social media, we have seen these operations
time and time again, which is why we must stay vigilant to minimize
these risks or avoid them altogether.
Fortunately, today, we are taking additional action to address these
and future threats. H.R. 906 would require the Federal Communications
Commission to publish a list within 4 months indicating any entities
with ties to China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran that hold wireless
and undersea cable licenses that power our country's mobile and fixed
communications networks.
The bill would also require the FCC to issue rules in 18 months to
help it attain foreign ownership information for the remaining
authorizations, licenses, and grants that the agency issues. The FCC
would then publish on its list any additional entities with ties to
China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran no later than 1 year after the new
rules are adopted. The FCC would also
[[Page H1666]]
need to update this entity list annually.
This bill is particularly important since we know our communications
networks carry Americans' most sensitive personal and government data
on a daily basis, so we must have a clear understanding if any foreign
adversary countries or the companies operating within those countries
are investors in our networks.
With this bill, we continue to secure our communications networks,
protect Americans and their personal data, and help better protect our
allies as they, too, rely on our global undersea cable network for
broadband services.
I thank Representatives Castor, Khanna, Wittman, and Kean for their
bipartisan work and leadership on this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I urge
all of my colleagues to support H.R. 906, and I reserve the balance of
my time.
Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to
the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Wittman), the sponsor of this bill.
Mr. WITTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Foreign
Adversary Communications Transparency Act, known as the FACT Act. I
introduced this bill in January, and I have been pleased to see it
advance through committee and now onto the House floor.
First, I thank Chairman Guthrie, Chairman Hudson, and the entire
Energy and Commerce Committee for advancing this bill, and Leader
Scalise for bringing it to the floor today. Additionally,
Representatives Stefanik, Kean, Castor, and Khanna have been strong
partners in garnering support for this legislation as cosponsors. I
also thank my staff as well as those fellow cosponsors on the Energy
and Commerce Committee and in leadership for their diligent work on
this important bill.
I also applaud the administration for taking the CCP's threat to our
national security seriously. Communist China is using every tool at its
disposal to conduct a coordinated campaign to surveil and collect
information on Americans. We should all be deeply concerned about that.
China is not our friend.
China looks to defeat us both economically and strategically. This is
one of many means that they are using to accomplish that. They are
infiltrating our telecommunications networks and technology sectors for
the sole purpose of doing harm to the United States and its friends.
Despite this clear threat, far too many companies with ties to the CCP
and other foreign adversaries still hold authorities to operate in the
United States, often without the public's knowledge. That is absolutely
unacceptable.
While companies like Huawei and ZTE are well known, others controlled
by the CCP continue to fly under the radar. They are doing this
purposely. They are creating entities that are third- and fourth-order
separates from these main organizations to be able to obfuscate those
connections back to the CCP.
That is where the bipartisan FACT Act comes in. It would require the
Federal Communications Commission to publish a list of these companies
that hold FCC authorizations and have any ownership by foreign
adversarial governments, including our adversaries like China, Russia,
North Korea, and Iran.
This transparency is critical. Americans deserve to know which
companies inside our tech and telecommunications markets are linked to
hostile regimes. Shining a light on this malign influence is the first
step toward a stronger action to defend our communications
infrastructure and our national security.
We know what these threats are. We have seen them develop. We have
seen them accelerate. We have seen what China's intent is. The FACT Act
will mark real, bipartisan progress in achieving these efforts. It is a
necessary step to protect Americans from surveillance and infiltration
by foreign adversaries like the Chinese Communist Party.
I urge my colleagues to support this critical legislation, and I look
forward to continuing to work together to defend American sovereignty
and security.
Mrs. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished
gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Castor), a great leader on this issue.
Ms. CASTOR of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mrs. Dingell for yielding
the time, and I thank Chairman Bilirakis for moving the bill forward to
the floor today.
I rise in strong support of H.R. 906, the Foreign Adversary
Communications Transparency Act. This bill would require the Federal
Communications Commission, the FCC, to publish a public list of
entities with ties to foreign adversarial governments, such as China,
Russia, North Korea, and Iran, especially if they have a license or
authorization that is tied to our communications networks.
Along with Representative Wittman, I serve on the bipartisan Select
Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and
the Chinese Communist Party. Last Congress, the committee released a
bipartisan report on maintaining America's economic and national
security interests. The report found that the widespread adoption of
certain People's Republic of China-developed technologies in the United
States poses a significant risk to national security and threatens
long-term U.S. technological competitiveness.
Our committee report recommended that we enact the FACT Act to shine
a light on companies connected to foreign adversarial governments like
the CCP and to ensure greater accountability and transparency in our
critical communications networks.
Our bill passed the House unanimously by voice vote in the last
Congress, but it didn't quite get over the finish line. We really have
no more time to wait, Mr. Speaker. Our adversaries continue to target
our communications systems, so Congress must take steps now to protect
our communications, telecommunications infrastructure and strengthen
our national security to keep Americans safe. I urge a ``yes'' vote on
the bill.
Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I strongly urge that my
colleagues on both sides of the aisle support H.R. 906, the Foreign
Adversary Communications Transparency Act for the security of our
Nation. I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I commend Representative
Wittman and Representative Castor for their good work on this
particular bill, and I urge passage. I yield back the balance of my
time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Fulcher). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis) that the House
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 906.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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