Bipartisan Legislation to Boost Federal Supply Chain Security Passes Committee

Today, legislation that would bolster the federal government’s ability to prevent China and other foreign adversaries from infiltrating U.S. information technology and communications systems was passed by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. The Federal Acquisition Security Council (FASC) Improvement Act is bipartisan legislation led by Select Committee on China Chairman John Moolenaar (R-MI), Congressman William Timmons (R-SC), and Congressman Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA).

"We cannot allow Chinese companies to have access to the federal procurement process, so we are taking action to prevent that,” said Moolenaar. “We need secure, dependable supply chains that are protected from exploitation by foreign adversaries, and that applies to government just as much as American industry. This legislation will strengthen our country, and it has strong bipartisan support.”

The legislation would reform and modernize the FASC by moving it into the Executive Office of the President, expanding its authority, and providing dedicated operational support to proactively identify, investigate, and remove high-risk foreign vendors and equipment across all federal agencies.

“Communist China is constantly looking for ways to exploit vulnerabilities in our federal systems and spy on the United States,” said Timmons, when the legislation was introduced last week. “American taxpayer dollars should never be used to purchase technology that could compromise our national security. This legislation gives the federal government the tools and authority it needs to block dangerous foreign suppliers, secure our supply chains, and protect sensitive government networks before a threat becomes a crisis. We must be proactive, not reactive, when it comes to defending our country.”

“Protecting federal information technology systems from foreign adversary influence shouldn't be a partisan issue,” said Subramanyam, last week. “This bill ensures we are not spending taxpayer dollars on technology or vendors tied to foreign adversaries who could compromise our systems. It’s a commonsense step for acquisition security and reducing risk across federal agencies."

The full bill text can be found here.