A group of lawmakers have introduced legislation designed to prevent the federal, state and local governments from using taxpayer dollars to purchase drones manufactured in nations that include China.
U.S. Reps. Dave Joyce (R-OH), Jake Auchincloss (D-MA), Lance Gooden (R-TX) and Max Miller (R-OH) recently outlined the Securing Our Airspace from Reconnaissance (SOAR) Act, officials noted.
The bill increases oversight on agency heads requesting a waiver for the ban, requiring Congress to be notified whenever a waiver is requested and requiring that the waivers be renewed annually.
Additionally, the legislation directs the Secretary of Defense to expand existing partnerships with the private sector to promote domestic production of secure, American-made drones.
“Drones made by companies owned by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) are effectively China’s modern-day Trojan Horse, yet federal agencies and countless state and local governments continue to purchase them,” Joyce said. “The SOAR Act will ban the use of these foreign-made drones and encourage the production of American-made alternatives, protecting Americans’ data and promoting domestic innovation. I will continue to work in a bipartisan manner to confront the grave security threat posed by countries like China.”
Auchincloss said foreign-made drones, particularly those made under the Chinese regime, are a threat to our national security.
“They allow foreign companies to access and control sensitive data, including information about critical infrastructure and law enforcement activities,” Auchincloss said. “The SOAR Act will eliminate that vulnerability and instead spur U.S. manufacturing for drones.”