Congressman Richard Hudson, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, led a hearing titled "Securing U.S. Leadership of Communications Technology" on March 18 in Washington, D.C.
The hearing addressed the importance of maintaining U.S. leadership in global communications technology and the potential national security risks if other countries, particularly China, increase their influence in this sector.
Hudson said, "Our nation is the world’s economic powerhouse, and we lead the world in innovation. The United States is home to the world’s best technology companies, which have led in the creation of new devices and services that we rely on every day. On our committee, we are working to ensure we continue to lead in the new technologies of tomorrow."
During the hearing, Subcommittee Vice Chairman Rick Allen asked about possible consequences if the United States reduces its engagement at international conferences. Ms. Alexander responded: "In my 20 years of doing ITU work, what I’ve seen is a marked engagement of Asian countries, in particular China. So, in some cases, when the U.S. companies don’t come, China comes— and China comes even more. And I think that will happen in this case as well. If we were not there and we don’t show up, they will and they’ll show up in big numbers. And that will be bad for national security in the long run for us." Ambassador Lang discussed scenarios regarding accountability at such conferences: "Well, I think the worst case we need to prepare for is that China would structure the informal conversations that take place on the side of the conference in such a way that the U.S. would not have a seat at the table... The best case is that they actually conduct it in a transparent and fair manner... So, I think there is reason to think that they will want to have a successful conference that is viewed favorably." Congressman August Pfluger raised concerns about coordination for upcoming events like WRC; Ms. Alexander replied: "For WRC, my observation historically is that these processes can be slow... But that needs to happen. It needs to happen faster for us to be effective in these environments."
The House Energy and Commerce Committee oversees legislation related to energy policy, health care issues, environmental protection measures, telecommunications regulation and consumer matters according to its official website. The committee has played a role shaping policies involving energy innovation initiatives, broadband deployment efforts and pharmaceutical pricing reforms according to its official website.
As one of Congress's oldest standing committees according to its official website, it traces its origins back to 1795 when it was established as the Committee on Commerce and Manufactures according to its official website.
The discussion highlighted ongoing concerns about international competition over technological standards and underscored calls for continued American participation at key global forums.
