Promoting Secure 5G Act of 2020

Floor Speech

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Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5698) to direct the Secretary of the Treasury to instruct the United States Executive Directors at the international financial institutions on United States policy regarding international financial institution assistance with respect to advanced wireless technologies.

The Clerk read the title of the bill.

The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 5698

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Promoting Secure 5G Act of 2020''. SEC. 2. UNITED STATES POLICY REGARDING INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL INSTITUTION ASSISTANCE WITH RESPECT TO ADVANCED WIRELESS TECHNOLOGIES.

(a) In General.--The Secretary of the Treasury (in this section referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall instruct the United States Executive Director at each international financial institution (as defined in section 1701(c)(2) of the International Financial Institutions Act) that it is the policy of the United States to--

(1) support assistance by the institution with respect to advanced wireless technologies (such as 5th generation wireless technology for digital cellular networks and related technologies) only if the technologies provide appropriate security for users;

(2) proactively encourage assistance with respect to infrastructure or policy reforms that facilitate the use of secure advanced wireless technologies; and

(3) cooperate, to the maximum extent practicable, with member states of the institution, particularly with United States allies and partners, in order to strengthen international support for such technologies.

(b) Waiver Authority.--The Secretary may waive subsection (a) on a case-by-case basis, on reporting to the Committee on Financial Services of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate that the waiver--

(1) will allow the United States to effectively promote the objectives of the policy described in subsection (a); or

(2) is in the national interest of the United States, with an explanation of the reasons therefor.

(c) Progress Report.--The Chairman of the National Advisory Council on International Monetary and Financial Policies shall include in the annual report required by section 1701 of the International Financial Institutions Act a description of progress made toward advancing the policy described in subsection (a) of this section.

(d) Sunset.--The preceding provisions of this section shall have no force or effect after the earlier of--

(1) the date that is 7 years after the date of the enactment of this Act; or

(2) the date that the Secretary reports to the committees specified in subsection (b) that terminating the effectiveness of the provisions is important to the national interest of the United States, with a detailed explanation of the reasons therefor.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5698, the Promoting Secure 5G Act of 2020, which establishes that at the international financial institutions, known as IFIs, such as the World Bank, it will be U.S. policy that supports the financing for advanced wireless communication technologies, including next-generation 5G networks only if the technologies to be financed provide adequate security for users.

Cybersecurity has been an important concern of this House, and it is an important concern of this country. We see that in the recent action taken with regard to TikTok, we see that in the steps that this House is taking with regard to cybersecurity, and it makes sense that our voice and vote at the international financial institutions be used to ensure that the world moves forward with secure 5G networks.

This legislation establishes a U.S. position at the IFIs in support of infrastructure or policy reforms that facilitate the use of secure advanced wireless technologies, and it encourages U.S. cooperation with our allies and partners to strengthen international support for such secure technologies.

I support this legislation because I think it reflects a good policy goal and a good example of how central international cooperation is for our own economic and national security goals.

This legislation seeks to use our voice at the IFIs to counter China's efforts to expands its 5G influence internationally and to expand the use of Chinese technology with back doors and other devices that can be used by the Chinese Communist Party. This is especially important with regard to developing countries. By placing an important strategic U.S. policy goal within the system of the international financial institutions, this legislation recognizes that sustained international cooperation is important for advancing a range of U.S. economic security and foreign policy interest, and I welcome that recognition.

5G is the next generation of wireless communications networks. It may very well be the most extraordinary remaking of the system, controls, and use of the airwaves that make up today's internet since the internet first came into existence. 5G networks, we are told, will transform the way we live.

In the global race for 5G, where the U.S. and China are among the main contenders, the competition is fierce, and from that frame certainly the core of this bill's proposal--to have the international financial institutions support 5G infrastructure only if it is from trusted vendors--makes sense. We would not want to see this kind of policy cause problems for the missions of the IFIs if they get further caught up in any rivalry between the United States and China. But if our money is involved in these international financial institutions, then it needs to be American policy that those funds be used only to finance secure 5G networks.

That said, the success of such a U.S. policy at the IFIs will depend in large part on the state of U.S. leadership worldwide not only in those institutions but around the world. Let's face it. Over the last 3 years America has squandered its role as a world leader, and we have stretched almost to the breaking point our alliances with our traditional allies.

I look forward to working with everyone in Congress over the next few years to recement our international alliances and put us in a position so that when we speak at the international financial institutions that we are listened to as a world leader and not mocked as a nation that has one tweet one day and another tweet another day.

Mr. Speaker, I look forward to the passage of this legislation, and I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5798.

Mr. Speaker, I commend the gentleman from South Carolina for authoring this legislation. Also, again, I commend him for spending time this afternoon to pass all the legislation that is here before us.

Mr. Speaker, the United States has often looked to the international financial institutions to meet strategic objectives at critical moments, and this legislation is a good example of that.

The World Bank and others are currently focused on helping developing nations deal with the coronavirus, but soon, they will return to other development goals. The basic principle of this legislation is important because it establishes not only what U.S. policy is going to be in a particular area, but it also directs the administration to pursue that policy. It provides flexibility in the implementation of that policy and keeps Congress informed.

It is important to keep in mind that our ability to influence the direction of the IFIs, the international financial institutions, and to prioritize global objectives in the areas that we think are critically important depend in large part on the degree to which the United States maintains and exercises strong leadership in these international financial institutions and in the world writ large.

We on the Foreign Affairs Committee have focused on the importance of rebuilding our relationships and rebuilding America's status and leadership in the world, and we will only be as effective in carrying out the intent of this legislation as we are in rehabilitating America's image.

For U.S. policy to be effectively advanced in the international financial institutions, other member states at these institutions need to believe that the policies we pursue are not based exclusively out of a narrow self-interest but are policies that will help the entire world move forward.

Mr. Speaker, I support this legislation, and I urge my colleagues to do the same. I yield back the balance of my time.

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