Capital District Times

Today, the bipartisan Countering CCP Drones Act and the Foreign Adversary Communications Transparency (FACT) Act, introduced by Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, successfully advanced through the House Energy and Commerce Committee following a unanimous vote. This development paves the way for the bills to be considered on the House floor.

Congresswoman Elise Stefanik expressed her satisfaction with the progress, stating, "The advancement of my bipartisan bills, the Countering CCP Drones Act and the FACT Act is a win for America’s national security and a win for Americans whose data and critical infrastructure has been collected and monitored by our adversary Communist China. Congress must use every tool at our disposal to stop Communist China’s monopolistic control over the drone market and telecommunications infrastructure and build up America’s industrial capacity."

Ranking Member of the Select Committee on the CCP, Raja Krishnamoorthi, highlighted the importance of the legislation in protecting national security, saying, "Our legislation will further protect our communications equipment while strengthening American supply chains by ensuring foreign-manufactured technologies that pose serious security threats, such as DJI’s, cannot operate in American networks."

Omer Kanat, Executive Director of the Uyghur Human Rights Project, emphasized the significance of safeguarding Americans and law enforcement agencies from potential threats, stating, "It is high time that the U.S. government ensures that Americans and law enforcement agencies are protected from both complicity in human rights atrocities, and from having their data in the hands of the Chinese State."

The Countering CCP Drones Act, introduced in partnership with Select Committee on the CCP Chairman Mike Gallagher, aims to restrict Chinese drone company Da-Jiang Innovations (DJI) from operating on U.S. communications infrastructure by adding it to the FCC Covered List. Similarly, the FACT Act, introduced alongside Congressman Ro Khanna and Chairman Mike Gallagher, seeks to counter the influence of China and other foreign adversaries on the United States’ telecommunications infrastructure.

In response to these legislative advancements, individuals and organizations have expressed their gratitude for the proactive measures taken by Representative Stefanik and her colleagues. The efforts to address national security concerns and protect critical infrastructure have garnered support from various sectors.

The full text of the Countering CCP Drones Act and the Foreign Adversary Communications Transparency (FACT) Act can be accessed for further details.