News

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – In case you missed it, Fox Business recently published an article featuring a letter sent to the Secretary of Commerce from Congressman Richard Hudson (NC-09), Chairman of the Communications and Technology Subcommittee, and Congressman Gus Bilirakis (FL-12), Chairman of the Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade Subcommittee, urging the Department of Commerce to investigate Spain's recent wiretap deal with the Chinese-owned Huwai and warning of the national security threats posed by the deal. In Case You Missed It: “ Republican leaders on the House Energy and Commerce Committee are calling on the Department of Commerce to investigate Spain’s controversial decision to contract with Huawei — a company with bridging links to the Chinese Communist Party — to store judicial wiretap data.  “ They warn the agreement poses a serious threat to U.S. digital trade and national security. “ In a letter this week to Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, Subcommittee Chairs Reps. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., and Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., warned that Spain’s contracts with Huawei to manage and store sensitive data related to the country’s wiretapping services were ‘ deeply troubling. ’ “ They noted that ‘ Huawei and other Chinese firms maintain documented CCP ties, posing profound risks to national and economic security. ’ “ The lawmakers further warned that the decision ‘ underscores a regrettable trend in the European Union (EU): governments tacitly embrace Chinese technology and hold American digital trade exports to double standards, ’ resulting in ‘ significant uncertainty for American companies in every sector that engages in transatlantic commerce. ’   “ They urged Commerce to ‘ investigate the Spanish government’s decision, and similar actions by EU governments, that negatively impact U.S. digital trade, data security, and telecommunications interests, as well as the interests of American workers. ’ “ Last month, Spain’s Ministry of the Interior quietly awarded a €12.3 million contract to Huawei to manage and store judicially authorized wiretaps using its OceanStor6800 V5 enterprise-grade servers. “ The move prompted top lawmakers on the House and Senate Intelligence Committees to call on Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard to review intelligence sharing with Spain to ensure that Beijing was not intercepting secrets. “ House Intelligence Chairman Rick Crawford called Spain’s deal ‘ almost unimaginable ’ in a statement last month.  “ The European Commission issued a formal warning, stating that ‘ Huawei represents materially higher risks ’ and urged member states to exclude high-risk vendors from critical infrastructure.  “ Sources within the Spanish National Police and the Civil Guard told Spanish news outlet The Objective they were uneasy with the partnership.  “ We are being asked to secure sensitive operations using systems that are not trusted by most of our allies, ’ one law enforcement source reportedly said.  “ The People’s Republic of China (PRC) National Intelligence Law of 2017 requires PRC individuals and entities to support PRC intelligence services. “ Chinese hackers breached U.S. court wiretap systems last year, according to a Wall Street Journal report. “ According to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, China ‘ remains the most active and persistent cyber threat to U.S. government, private-sector, and critical infrastructure networks ’ and has targeted communications infrastructure specifically, recently through the hacking operation Salt Typhoon. ”

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Congressman Gus Bilirakis (FL-12), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade, and Congressman Richard Hudson (NC-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, recently  sent a letter  to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick asking the U.S. Department of Commerce to investigate the Spanish government’s decision to contract Huawei to manage and store sensitive data relating to the country’s wiretapping services. “I am deeply concerned by reports that Spain has contracted with Huawei to manage and store sensitive data related to the country’s wiretapping services. This decision is highly problematic, given Huawei’s well-documented ties to the Chinese Communist Party and the potential national security risks such involvement poses,” said Chairman Bilirakis. “Entrusting such critical infrastructure to an entity under significant influence from a foreign authoritarian government could jeopardize not only Spain’s internal security but also the integrity of allied intelligence sharing frameworks. This is a matter of national security, and we cannot afford to be complacent.” “Spain’s decision to hand Huawei access to sensitive law enforcement data is deeply troubling and a direct risk to our shared security,”   said Chairman Hudson. “Huawei’s ties to the Chinese Communist Party are well-documented, and this move undermines the trust and transparency that should define our alliances. The United States cannot accept double standards that block American digital trade while turning a blind eye to Chinese intrusion.” KEY EXCERPT: “It is deeply troubling when a treaty ally uses telecommunications equipment and services from an entity aligned with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). As you are aware, Huawei and other Chinese firms maintain documented CCP ties, posing profound risks to national and economic security.”  […] “Spain’s decision underscores a regrettable trend in the European Union (EU): governments tacitly embrace Chinese technology and hold American digital trade exports to double standards.” BACKGROUND: In 2019, the Trump Administration prohibited Huawei from participating in U.S. telecommunications networks over their ties to the CCP. In 2020, President Trump signed the  Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act  to prohibit federal funds from being used to purchase untrustworthy equipment and help small providers remove and replace such equipment. The People’s Republic of China (PRC) National Intelligence Law of 2017 requires PRC individuals and entities to support PRC intelligence services. The EU is the largest destination for American digital trade exports, and digital trade supports more than 3 million American jobs, which means Spain’s decision could directly impact U.S. businesses and individuals. CLICK HERE  to read  Fox Business  coverage of the letter. CLICK HERE  to read the full letter. ###

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, issued the following statement regarding the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) adoption of an item to update subsea cable regulations: “Subsea cables underpin the overwhelming majority of international internet traffic, and this week’s unanimous decision protects that critical infrastructure from interference by our foreign adversaries. Continued investment and streamlining our approval processes for submarine cable infrastructure will enhance the resiliency of these critical networks and enable the United States to expand our global technological dominance,” said Chairman Guthrie . “We must defend against our adversaries, such as China, who seek to access and tamper with American networks.”   CLICK HERE to read the FCC’s announcement.  ###

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, issued the following statement regarding the release of America’s AI Action Plan, which focuses on safeguarding U.S. global leadership in artificial intelligence.   “Today’s announcement is a major victory in our work to win the race for AI. The future of American global competitiveness, innovation, and economic growth depends on strong investments and a unified approach that promotes AI development and deployment at scale. President Trump’s ‘AI Action Plan’ is an important step toward harnessing the full power of American innovation and aligns with our Committee’s work to unleash infrastructure development and advanced manufacturing, promote a national AI framework, and safeguard Americans where existing protections fall short,” said Chairman Guthrie. “Throughout this Congress, we’ve heard a clear message that to win the race for AI, we need to bring more baseload energy sources online, including natural gas, coal, hydropower, and nuclear. We cannot cede leadership in the development and deployment of AI technology to the Chinese Communist Party, which does not share our values. “We look forward to continuing our work with President Trump to ensure the U.S. remains the global leader in AI development.”   ###

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Congressman Richard Hudson (NC-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, issued the following statement after the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the Universal Service Fund (USF):  "We are glad to see the Supreme Court uphold the constitutionality of the Universal Service Fund, which is critical for expanding reliable internet access to rural and low-income Americans, schools, libraries, and rural health centers,” said Chairmen Guthrie and Hudson. “The Committee on Energy and Commerce can now turn its attention to reforming the USF so it can continue to provide every American with access to the connectivity they need to participate in the 21st century economy.”   Background:   Chairman Hudson is a member of the Universal Service Fund Working Group .

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Congressman Gus Bilirakis (FL-12), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade, and Congressman Richard Hudson (NC-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, issued the following statement after President Trump delayed enforcement of the TikTok divestiture requirement: “We remain committed to seeing TikTok divested from the Chinese Communist Party-affiliated ByteDance. Our enemies will use any tool at their disposal to surveil and potentially manipulate the American people,”   said Chairmen Guthrie, Bilirakis, and Hudson.   “We remain committed to protecting the privacy and security of the American public and are hopeful the Administration will continue working to facilitate a deal that brings TikTok into compliance with the law soon.” ###

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie, Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, issued the following statement after Olivia Trusty was confirmed by the Senate to serve as Commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC): “The FCC plays a crucial role in securing our communications networks from bad actors and promoting fast, reliable, and affordable broadband access. Olivia Trusty has a wealth of experience, including time spent as an Energy and Commerce staffer, and she will be an asset to the Commission." said Chairman Guthrie. "I look forward to working with her and the Commission to connect every American to reliable internet access and promote American technological leadership for the decades to come.”

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Congressman Richard Hudson (NC-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, sent a letter to President Donald J. Trump urging the administration to quickly remove burdensome regulations that have stopped the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program from connecting any American to reliable broadband. KEY EXCERPT: “The Biden administration added unnecessary and burdensome requirements that made participation in the program more expensive and less attractive to broadband providers. These include labor and climate change requirements, as well as rate regulation of low-cost broadband plans that were unlawfully imposed.  “To address these issues, we introduced the Streamlining Program Efficiency and Expanding Deployment (SPEED) for BEAD Act, which outlines necessary reforms to BEAD. We appreciate that Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick is undertaking a review of the program and urge any reforms to be enacted as soon as possible.” BACKGROUND: On March 5, 2025,  Congressman Hudson introduced  the SPEED for BEAD Act to remove harmful regulations that have prevented the $42 billion program from laying even a single inch of fiber to support rural Americans. Also on March 5, 2025, the Committee on Energy and Commerce  held a hearing  to discuss the BEAD program titled  Fixing Biden’s Broadband Blunder. CLICK HERE to read the full letter. ###

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Richard Hudson (NC-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, led a hearing titled AI in the Everyday: Current Applications and Future Frontiers in Communications and Technology “Our adversaries will stop at nothing to undermine our leadership in technological advancement and utilize AI to threaten our way of life. We must continue to innovate and develop to prevent that from happening,” said Chairman Hudson. “Competition in AI is a global issue, and it is imperative that the United States maintains its leadership.” Watch the full hearing here . Below are key excerpts from today’s hearing: Congressman Rick Allen (GA-12) : “My district experienced significant telecommunications disruptions from Hurricane Helene. It took weeks in some areas for phone services to return to normal. Could artificial intelligence help mitigate these disruptions in the future, and if so how?” Mr. Pickering: “The answer is yes. The AI application, whether it is in our fiber, wireless, or in any of our networks, is able to both manage and optimize redundancy, resiliency, and be able to get systems back up and running and identify where issues are much more quickly than in the past.” Congressman Jay Obernotle (CA-23):  “[One] assertion that’s been made is that this [AI moratorium] is a giveaway to big tech. Is that something you would agree with or disagree with?” Mr. Pickering: “As an advocate for competitors for 40 years, for the new entrants, the new technology, the upstarts, the innovators, the entrepreneurs, it’s the exact opposite . If you’re a small startup, you cannot afford the patchwork of 50 states.” Congresswoman Erin Houchin (IN-09): “Artificial intelligence is no longer a far-off concept. It’s already changing how we live, work, and communicate, but its success still depends on the basics: fast, reliable, broadband infrastructure, access to spectrum, cybersecurity, and reliable energy. For rural communities like in Southern Indiana, like mine and across the country, those fundamentals are not always guaranteed. That’s why I’m fighting to close the digital divide and make sure that those small communities aren’t left behind.” ###