[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 106 (Wednesday, June 24, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3380-S3381]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 6198. Mr. WARNOCK (for himself and Mr. Kennedy) submitted an 
amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 4784, to 
authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2027 for military activities 
of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for 
defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military 
personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which 
was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the end of subtitle E of title XII, add the following:

     SEC. 1271. ASSESSMENT OF TRANS-ATLANTIC SUBMARINE FIBER OPTIC 
                   CABLE.

       (a) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in consultation with 
     the heads of other Federal departments and agencies as 
     necessary, 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 an assessment of the value, cost, and feasibility 
     of a trans-Atlantic submarine fiber optic cable connecting 
     the contiguous United States, the United States Virgin 
     Islands, Ghana, and Nigeria, to enhance the national security 
     of the United States.
       (b) Elements.--The report required by subsection (a) shall 
     include an assessment of--
       (1) the digital security, national security, and economic 
     opportunities associated with a trans-Atlantic submarine 
     fiber optic cable described in subsection (a);
       (2) the lifespan of submarine fiber optic cables currently 
     connecting the United States Virgin Islands to the contiguous 
     United States;

[[Page S3381]]

       (3) the current security of telecommunications between the 
     contiguous United States and the United States Virgin 
     Islands;
       (4) the readiness of telecommunications infrastructure in 
     the United States Virgin Islands to support a trans-Atlantic 
     submarine fiber optic cable described in subsection (a);
       (5) the potential for engagement with trusted entities in 
     the deployment of a trans-Atlantic submarine fiber optic 
     cable described in subsection (a), and the associated 
     geopolitical and economic advantages;
       (6) the potential connectivity opportunities to maximize 
     investments in the United States economy through the use of a 
     trans-Atlantic submarine fiber optic cable described in 
     subsection (a);
       (7) the value, cost, and feasibility of establishing a data 
     center and high-security cloud services facility, with 
     independent power generation, in the United States Virgin 
     Islands for communications of the United States Africa 
     Command, communications of the United States Special 
     Operations Command, and national security communications;
       (8) the state of submarine fiber optic cables connected to 
     United States telecommunications infrastructure; and
       (9) any other related matters the Secretary determines are 
     appropriate.
       (c) No Mandatory Data Collection.--The Secretary may not 
     require any entity to provide data for purposes of preparing 
     the report required by subsection (a).
       (d) Form.--The report required by subsection (a) shall be 
     submitted in unclassified form without any designation 
     relating to dissemination control, but may include a 
     classified annex.
       (e) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) Not trusted.--The term ``not trusted'' means, with 
     respect to an entity, that the entity is determined by the 
     Secretary to pose an unacceptable risk to the national 
     security of the United States, or the security and safety of 
     United States persons, based solely on one or more 
     determination described under paragraphs (1) through (4) of 
     section 2(c) of the Secure and Trusted Communications 
     Networks Act of 2019 (47 U.S.C. 1601(c)).
       (2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of Commerce, acting through the Assistant Secretary of 
     Commerce for Communications and Information.
       (3) Trusted.--The term ``trusted'' means, with respect to 
     an entity, that the Secretary has not determined that the 
     entity is not trusted.
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