NE Washington News

House Energy and Commerce Communications and Technology Subcommittee Chair Bob Latta (R-OH) highlighted the threats posed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to American communications networks during a recent Subcommittee markup session. Latta emphasized the importance of countering the CCP's influence in the communications sector, stating, "We are considering four pieces of legislation to counter the significant threats posed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to communications networks in the United States and around the world."

Latta pointed out that China's aggressive attempts to surpass the United States in communications and technology pose a significant risk to American security and economic leadership. He expressed concern over the CCP's efforts to export subsidized equipment to developing countries, dominate international standards forums, and exploit security vulnerabilities to spy on Americans and disrupt networks. Latta stressed the critical need to address vulnerabilities in technology produced by companies with ties to the CCP to safeguard American connectivity.

Regarding legislative efforts to secure networks from foreign adversaries, Latta acknowledged the Subcommittee's previous work in passing the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act but expressed frustration over the lack of full funding for the program. He outlined four important bills under consideration, including the Countering CCP Drones Act, the Foreign Adversary Communications Transparency Act, the FUTURE Networks Act, and the ROUTERS Act.

Latta explained that these bills aimed to address various aspects of the CCP threat, such as banning equipment produced by DJI Technologies, requiring transparency on entities with ties to adversarial countries holding FCC licenses, establishing a 6G Task Force, and studying the security risks posed by routers and modems from companies linked to adversaries. He commended the bipartisan efforts in advancing these legislative measures and expressed gratitude to Subcommittee members for their contributions.

The Subcommittee Chair's remarks underscored the ongoing efforts to protect American communications networks from foreign influence and ensure the security and integrity of technological infrastructure.