Ratcliffe, Hurd Action Leads to Revisiting of Harmful Cybersecurity Agreement

Statement

Texas Congressmen John Ratcliffe and Will Hurd, released the following statement regarding the Obama administration's announcement that it plans to seek to revisit the 2013 Wassenaar Arrangement to remove fundamental cybersecurity technologies from a list of export controls:

"We would like to commend the Administration's decision to submit a proposal to the Wassenaar Arrangement to renegotiate the 2013 export control on cybersecurity technologies. We appreciate the Departments of State, Commerce and Homeland Security for actively engaging with Congress on this important issue that affects the cybersecurity posture of the United States. It is our hope that the United States' delegation to the Wassenaar Arrangement will successfully obtain a consensus on its proposal, which should address a substantial share of the bipartisan concerns expressed at our January hearing. We will continue to monitor this as it progresses through the year. We want to express our gratitude to the U.S. tech industry for its responsiveness and dedication throughout this process."

Ratcliffe and Hurd have been two of the strongest advocates for a renegotiation, chairing a joint hearing on the topic and authoring a joint op-ed. Both members have strongly advocated for the administration to return to the drawing board.

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