Chairmen from four key House committees have called on the Department of Commerce to investigate technology products linked to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), citing concerns over national security. In a letter sent to Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, Chairmen John Moolenaar (R-MI), Brian Mast (R-FL), Rick Crawford (R-AR), and Andrew Garbarino (R-NY) recommended that the Office of Information and Communications Technology and Services (OICTS) examine adversary products in critical and emerging industries. Congressman Bill Huizenga (R-MI) also signed the letter.
The lawmakers argue that certain Chinese companies operating in the United States, or owned by Chinese entities, may serve as tools for advancing Beijing’s interests. They warn these businesses could pose risks to American infrastructure.
"CCP-backed companies have proven time and again to be direct threats to U.S. infrastructure. Investigating these sectors will combat the threats head-on and ensure that everyday Americans are protected from Beijing's authoritarian ambitions," said Chairman Moolenaar.
“Chinese companies will exploit every backdoor to compromise America’s technology and infrastructure. Beijing’s infiltration of connected cars, drones, and solar components shows why Congress must urgently codify this critical ICTS authority," said Chairman Mast.
"American national security increasingly depends on the entities that control the data, software, and digital systems that power national infrastructure. We have already seen through a variety of cyber-attacks against the United States that China views information technology as a battlefield. A compromised power grid, an infiltrated telecommunications network, or a manipulated industrial control system can pose as great a threat as a kinetic military strike," the Chairmen conclude in the letter. "The fusion of digital capabilities with critical infrastructure has whittled away geographic borders, as connected infrastructure or products can be controlled or updated by entities in another country. Without a concerted effort to create a secure technology ecosystem from the very beginning of each supply chain, our adversaries will continue to exploit our dependence on their technology to undermine U.S. economic and military stability."
The full text of the letter is available online for further review.
