Secure Federal Leases From Espionage and Suspicious Entanglements Act

Floor Speech

Mr. Speaker, S. 1869, the Secure Federal LEASEs Act, would require entities that lease commercial space to high-security Federal agencies to identify any foreign ownership interest in the property.

In 2017, the General Accountability Office issued a report revealing that there was insufficient information on the ownership of certain high-security federally leased buildings.

The GAO recommended additional information be collected and reported to tenant Federal agencies to determine if security precautions are necessary. The General Services Administration, GSA, has already taken steps to address the vulnerabilities raised by GAO, and this bill will help support those efforts.

S. 1869 would require Federal agencies with leasing authority to collect this information to improve the security of Federal facilities.

I thank the sponsors of this legislation for working with us on amendments to this bill that will help to ensure its effectiveness.

Mr. Speaker, S. 1869 will help identify any foreign ownership interest in proposed leases for high-security agencies and improve the security of sensitive Federal facilities.

Mr. Speaker, I urge support for this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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