Maintaining American Superiority By Improving Export Control Transparency Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. JACKSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, today we are bringing to the floor a very important bill, the Maintaining American Superiority by Improving Export Control Transparency Act.

Our country's determination and commitment to achieving what was once thought impossible has led to some of the most incredible technological advances in the history of the world. Consequently, many of the world's very best and most advanced goods are made right here in the United States of America. However, the reality is that it is hard to keep good things to yourself, and nations across the world want to benefit from American goods themselves.

As a general principle, we are happy to export the fruits of our labor because international trade is an important part of any successful and vibrant economy, especially for a country like the United States, but the harsh reality is that not every country who wants access to our goods and materials is friendly to the United States. Malign actors like China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran would gladly seek to use our very own goods and technologies against us, whether in military engagements or on the economic battlefield.

The type of goods I am speaking about are not just overtly military hardware, like night vision goggles, tanks, or stealth technology. These bad actors are constantly thinking of new creative ways to use anything and everything against us, making everyday commercial items produced right here in the United States ripe to be weaponized against the American people.

One example would be telecommunications equipment. Anything from routers to cell phones to Bluetooth technology are generally thought of as harmless commercial goods, but they all have huge national security and military implications as well, especially in the hands of our adversaries. These so-called dual-use technologies are the type of goods that our current export controls attempt to prevent from falling into the hands of malign actors.

My bill, the Maintaining American Superiority by Improving Export Control Transparency Act, seeks to ensure increased transparency and accountability in the export control process by mandating a report on export control license applications.

Simply put, my bill creates a mechanism through tracking and reporting on export control license applications that can be utilized to form a paper trail to understand where dual-use technologies came from, who produced them, and whom they were sold to.

If our enemies are utilizing American technology against us, we need to know exactly how that happened and why. Further, my bill will provide some clarity to Congress on how these decisions are made.

Every 90 days, the House and the Senate would receive a report on export control license applications, gaining insight into where our American-made dual-use technologies are going abroad.

I want nothing more than for the American economy to be strong, open, and free, and international trade is a crucial part of that vision. Ultimately, our own free market cannot also be used as a source of our own downfall by allowing our adversaries to use our goods and technologies against us.

My bill ensures accountability and trackability when we send dual-use goods abroad.

In these increasingly dangerous times, there is a need for strong export controls with adequate oversight, which is why my bill passed the House Foreign Affairs Committee by a vote of 43-0. I thank Chairman McCaul for his cosponsorship of the legislation and Ranking Member Meeks for supporting this legislation in our committee. I urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation, as it is necessary for our national security.

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