Washington, DC – U.S. Representative Young Kim (CA-40), Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on the Indo-Pacific, joined Rep. Kathy Manning (NC-06) this week to introduce the Securing Global Telecommunications Act to promote secure telecommunications infrastructure.
“The Chinese Communist Party should not write the rules of the road for global networks. As adversaries move to dominate global telecommunications infrastructure, we must take steps to secure our networks and ensure the United States leads in global telecommunications standards,” said Congresswoman Young Kim. “The Securing Global Telecommunications Act will help the U.S. prioritize our national security, work with our allies to counter foreign malign influence, and boost U.S. competitiveness. I’m proud to work on this important bill with Rep. Manning and will fight to get it across the finish line.”
“Russia and China are working to assert dominance over critical technologies such as 5G and AI. This poses a serious threat to national and global security. The United States and our allies must counter these efforts by developing and deploying secure telecommunications and tech infrastructure,” said Congresswoman Kathy Manning. “I’m reintroducing my bipartisan Securing Global Telecommunications Act – which passed the House last Congress – to preserve our global leadership in tech and telecom, keep United States companies competitive, and protect the safety and integrity of the networks we use and rely on every day from malign influences.”
The Securing Global Telecommunications Act would enhance U.S. efforts to promote secure telecommunications infrastructure around the world by requiring the State Department to:
- Develop a comprehensive strategy to promote trusted vendors in several categories of critical telecommunications infrastructure;
- Report to Congress on Chinese and Russian efforts to advance their interests at the International Telecommunications Union (ITU);
- Identify opportunities for multilateral collaboration to promote secure telecom providers; and,
- Authorize the International Digital Economic and Telecommunication Advisory Committee (IDET), which advises the Cyberspace and Digital Policy Bureau on ICT policy matters and establish a permanent IDET private sector subcommittee.
Reps. Kim and Manning introduced this bill in the 117th Congress, and it passed the House on September 20, 2022.
Read the bill here.
