Legislators celebrate Biden’s signing of Secure Equipment Act

U.S. Reps. Steve Scalise (R-LA) and Anna G. Eshoo (D-CA), and U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Ed Markey (D-MA) applauded President Joe Biden signing the Secure Equipment Act of 2021 into law on Friday.

The new law prohibits the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from reviewing or issuing new equipment licenses to companies on the FCC’s “Covered Equipment or Services List” that may threaten national security.

“Yesterday’s bill signing proves that Congress can still work together across the aisle to enact vital legislation to protect the privacy and security of American citizens,” Scalise, the House Minority Whip, said. “I was proud to work with Rep. Eshoo and Senators Rubio and Markey to get the Secure Equipment Act through the House and Senate to prevent Chinese companies identified as national security threats from gaining access to the private data of American families. With this bill being signed into law, we have sent a strong signal to the Chinese Communist Party that America is committed to protecting our telecommunications networks and the data security of our Nation.”

The Secure Equipment Act would prevent equipment manufactured by firms like Huawei, ZTE, Hytera, Hikvision, and Dahua that are Chinese state-backed, from being further utilized and marketed in the United States, further closing off the country from entities that pose a national security risk.

“I’ve fought for over a decade to address vulnerabilities in our telecommunications infrastructure that directly impact our national security,” Eshoo said. “Equipment made by Huawei and ZTE, companies linked to the Chinese Communist Party, increase the vulnerabilities of our telecommunication systems and put privacy and safety of Americans at risk. I thank President Biden for signing the Secure Equipment Act, our bipartisan, bicameral legislation into law. Now the FCC is prohibited from issuing licenses for any equipment made by companies that pose a threat to our national security.”