House passes Spanberger legislation to secure American supply chains

A bipartisan majority of the U.S. House of Representatives voted this week to pass Rep. Abigail Spanberger’s bipartisan Information and Communication Technology Strategy Act.

The Spanberger-cosponsored ICT Strategy Act would help build a national strategy to reduce American telecommunications companies’ reliance on technology from untrusted foreign sources — while also strengthening domestic information and communications supply chains.

Additionally, it would require the federal government to identify concrete actions it can take to increase the economic competitiveness of trusted vendors.

“Americans have seen the impact first hand of cyberattacks on American supply chains and critical infrastructure, and many are also rightly concerned about vulnerabilities in the U.S. information and communication technology industry. Today, the U.S. House passed the ICT Strategy Act and took a step toward building a whole-of-government approach that addresses these risks and strengthens resilience here at home,” said Spanberger (D-VA-07). “Our legislation would take stock of critical information and communication technology and make sure that American companies can stay competitive and safe in an evolving field — while also reducing our dependence on companies that could pose a threat to our national security due to their close ties to foreign governments. I am proud to see our bipartisan legislation advance through the U.S. House, as I have long pushed to take the risks associated with vulnerable supply chains seriously and with urgency.”

The bipartisan legislation is also cosponsored by Reps. Jerry McNerney (D-CA-09) and Buddy Carter (R-GA-01).

Spanberger’s ICT Strategy Act would:

• Require the U.S. Department of Commerce to submit a report to Congress one year after enactment that would:
  • Assess the competitiveness of the U.S. information and communications technology industry,
  • Assess the dependence of these vendors on untrusted foreign actors, and
  • Identify potential steps by the federal government that can reduce the dependence of information and communications vendors on untrusted, foreign-based companies.
• Require the U.S. Department of Commerce to create a whole-of-government strategy that will bolster the economic competitiveness of U.S. information and communications vendors and reduce their reliance on foreign resources.