Graves Priorities to Boost Cyber and Telecommunications Security Approved by Full Committee

Press Release

Today the full U.S. House Appropriations Committee approved provisions championed by Rep. Tom Graves, Republican Leader of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government, to implement a strong, national 5G strategy; create more secure telecommunications networks; prevent international cybercriminals from accessing U.S. financial markets; empower federal agencies to use cloud technology; and set strong security standards for the digital devices that enter our homes. All five priorities were included in the Manager's Amendment as part of the Fiscal Year 2021 Financial Services and General Government funding bill.

Today marked Rep. Graves' last full Appropriations Committee markup, and his last as Republican Leader of the subcommittee, before his retirement from Congress. He thanked his colleagues on the committee for their friendship and collaboration over the last decade, saying, "I certainly hope whoever joins this committee after I leave will have the same experience I did. One that's full of congeniality, spirited debate and bipartisan friends who aren't afraid to tell you when you can do better. Thank you all for an amazing decade. It's been the honor of my life."

You can watch Rep. Graves' full opening remarks here.

Implementation of strong, national 5G strategy

Report language: 5G Security.--The Committee supports the development of secure 5G networks that are accessible nationwide, including rural communities, and that are developed using technology and equipment that is verified to be secure from foreign surveillance or influence, and. The Committee recognizes that it is in the best interest of the national and economic security of the United States to implement a strong national 5G strategy as outlined in Public Law 116---129.

Protecting our communications supply chain and nationwide networks

Report language: Supply Chain Security.--The Committee supports recent actions taken by the FCC to designate Huawei Technology Company and ZTE Corporation as covered entities for purposes of the agency's November 2019 ban on the use of universal service support to purchase equipment or services from companies posing a national security threat. The Committee encourages the FCC to continue working to ban the use of such funds to purchase, obtain, or maintain any equipment or services produced or provided by companies posing a national security threat to the integrity of communications networks or the communications supply chain within the United States. Furthermore, the Committee continues to support agency wide efforts to prevent and expel communications and technology companies from operating within the United States that are known to have substantial ties to foreign state-owned enterprises that conduct surveillance on and collect the data of American citizens on behalf of a foreign government, participate in the theft of American intellectual property, assist in espionage activities for foreign governments, have cybersecurity risks and vulnerabilities in their equipment, or face ongoing Congressional and Executive Branch concerns about their business models and practices.

Preventing international cybercriminals from accessing the U.S. financial market

Report language: The Committee encourages the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) to continue preventing known foreign sponsored actors of cybercrime from accessing the United States financial markets. The Committee is concerned that many cyber criminals, state sponsored or otherwise, are still gaining access to payments through financial markets and their activities pose a substantial national and economic threat to the United States.

Securing the Internet of Things

Report language: Internet of Things.--The Committee recognizes that the total number of Internet of Things (IoT) connected devices in use will reach 55 billion globally by 2025. The Committee further recognizes that the incorporation of IoT connected devices in both our personal and professional lives expands the cyber threat landscape into new domains, posing possible physical safety risks in addition to more traditional cybersecurity risks to data and information. The Committee directs the FTC to aggressively enforce any unfair and deceptive trade practices related to IoT devices and to issue appropriate guidelines that promote the use of reliable and secure IoT software and hardware components from all suppliers, domestic and foreign.

Empowering federal agencies to use cloud technology

Report language: The Committee continues to support efforts by the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) to empower federal agencies to use modern cloud technologies, with emphasis on the security and protection of federal information, and to help accelerate the adoption of secure cloud solutions. The Committee recognizes that these efforts must be prioritized government-wide in order to ensure the effective security of federal information impacting millions of civil servants and taxpayers nation-wide, particularly in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which has intensified the cyber vulnerability of the federal cloud services network.

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