House Energy and Commerce Committee advances ROUTERS Act to scrutinize foreign equipment

Among a flurry of 28 bills advanced 43-0 by the House Energy and Commerce Committee recently was a technology-check bill by United States Rep. Bob Latta (R-OH): the Removing Our Unsecure Technologies to Ensure Reliability and Security (ROUTERS) Act.

ROUTERS targeted routers, modems and similar devices that are designed, developed, manufactured or supplied by persons linked to China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba or Venezuela.

“As we continue to see threats arise from foreign adversaries, like Communist China, ensuring the security of our nation’s communications infrastructure is important,” Latta said. “This legislation is a crucial step to safeguard our networks and protect Americans from cyber threats in their place of employment and in their homes. I’m pleased to see my ROUTERS Act advance through the Energy and Commerce Committee today, and I look forward to it being brought up for a vote before the U.S. House of Representatives.”

The bill would require the Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information at the Department of Commerce to study any national security risks posed by these devices. Proponents see it as a way to begin removing dangerous equipment from the U.S communications infrastructure.

“Americans are counting on us to deliver on bipartisan solutions to improve their lives,” Chairwoman McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) said. “The ROUTERS Act is an important, bipartisan bill that will help ensure our communications networks are secure from threats posed by foreign adversary-controlled technology in the United States.”