Advanced Geothermal Innovation Leadership Act of 2019

Floor Speech

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Mr. WICKER. Mr. President, I call the Senate's attention this afternoon to a pair of bills that are critical to the deployment of broadband access across the United States and the worldwide race to 5G, which we, of course, hope to win and will win.

The first of these measures will ensure that telecommunications networks are safe and secure from foreign intrusion. The second bill, which I hope the Senate will take up and pass even today by unanimous consent, would help create highly accurate broadband coverage data that will help expand access to high-speed internet. Both of these measures are Commerce Committee priorities and are the result of extensive negotiations and work on a bipartisan and bicameral basis.

Our economic and national security depend on nationwide access to high-speed internet that is safe and secure. The threat of foreign espionage through our broadband infrastructure is real, and it stems directly from the Chinese tech firms, like Huawei and ZTE.

These companies are pawns of the Chinese Government. As a matter of fact, for all practical purposes, they are wholly owned entities of the Chinese Government, and they are putting on a full-court press to establish their footprint in wireless networks around the world and right here in the United States.

Huawei and ZTE receive massive subsidies each year from the Chinese Government, and it is really beyond dispute that they are doing the bidding of the Chinese Communist Party.

Some of our allies have come to realize this threat and have taken decisive action. I want to commend Australia, New Zealand, and Japan. They have all banned Huawei technologies from their networks.

I am grateful that the Trump administration has shown strong leadership on this issue.

Last year, the Department of Commerce placed Huawei on its Entity List, severely limiting its ability to do business with U.S. companies. That was a bold step, but, unfortunately, some of our networks had already been compromised by Huawei by the time the Commerce Department took action.

So last week, the Senate took a major step toward removing the Chinese threat by passing the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act.

This bill, which some refer to as the ``rip and replace'' bill, would rip out the Huawei equipment and replace it with reliable equipment that will not engage in espionage.

This legislation will lay the foundation to give strong financial incentives to U.S. firms to strip out their Huawei and ZTE technology and replace it with secure alternatives. It will also help small, rural telecom providers transition away from firms that are controlled by Beijing.

That bill is now on the President's desk, awaiting his signature, and it may be that he is going to wait until it can be joined by the Broadband DATA Act, which, again, I say can be passed by this body as early as this evening, when we adjourn.

In December, the Senate unanimously passed the measure, but because the House passed a slightly amended version of the bill yesterday, we need to act again today to get this bill across the finish line and on to the White House.

The Broadband DATA Act addresses the Federal Communication Commission's flawed maps, which the Presiding Officer and I have been so concerned about. Every year, the FCC spends billions of dollars to promote deployment of broadband across the United States. This funding is especially important for America's rural communication, which so often lags behind in broadband development. We have done a lot to close the digital divide, but an estimated 20 million Americans still lack access to broadband.

For years, Members from both parties have noted that the FCC's maps have overstated broadband coverage, thereby understating the problem. For example, for Mississippi, the FCC map claims that we have a 98- percent mobile broadband coverage--something anybody can say from experience is not true. It is far from true. Without accurate maps, the FCC cannot direct support to areas most in need.

The Broadband DATA Act will fix this problem by creating a new database of areas in need of service, requiring providers to submit precise data, establishing specific standards for data collection, and allowing crowd sourcing to encourage public participation in the process.

As a result, the Broadband DATA Act will also help target Federal funds toward those areas most in need of assistance. These steps will pave the way for more Americans across the heartland to exercise and to access high-speed broadband and to enjoy the economic opportunities that come with that.

Coupled with last week's passage of the ``rip and replace'' legislation, Congress has achieved an important victory for our country and national security.

In conclusion, I want to recognize the excellent work of my staff on the Commerce Committee, both the majority and the minority.

I want to thank my friend and ranking member, Senator Cantwell, as well as Chairman Pallone and Ranking Member Walden of the House of Representatives on the Energy and Commerce Committee, as well as the members of their staff. Their efforts have gotten us to this point, ready for the President to put a signature on these two very important bills.

Thank you.

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