Promoting United States International Leadership in 5G Act of 2019

Floor Speech

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Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairwoman for yielding to me and for bringing this measure to the floor.

I thank Chairman Engel; and I also thank my good friend from Texas, Ranking Member Michael McCaul, for his leadership on this particular issue, and for making this bill a bipartisan bill, which is a very, very important thing to do nowadays.

This bipartisan legislation will enhance the leadership of the United States at the international standards-setting bodies for 5G mobile telecom systems and infrastructure.

As we all know, and as has been mentioned, China is the most active espionage power when it comes to industrial espionage, theft of intellectual property, and actions against nations and regimes; and we certainly see this as a threat.

Once China's 5G technology has been installed in a country, China owns that nation's data, including the personal information of its people. This theft results in unacceptable national security risks and endangers allied information-sharing.

Market analysis shows that 5G technologies will create--if we do this ourselves here--up to 3 million new American jobs and add over $500 billion to our country's gross domestic product.

This bill aims to increase cooperation between the United States and its allies, and partners, in identifying and countering this risk from China.

Furthermore, this bill will increase America's global leadership on 5G technology and provide an alternative to China's dangerous state-run companies, which currently dominate the 5G market.

I want to thank the ranking member, Mr. McCaul, and Chairman Engel for doing this bipartisan legislation. Again, we have got to make sure that our priorities are clear and achievable when it comes to facing this danger.

I ask all Members to support this legislation.

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