Sense of Congress

(a) Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that— (1) foreign government partners are increasingly turning towards strategic competitors like the People’s Republic of China to procure cyber and digital technologies due to their low-cost, acceptable efficiency, and associated training and maintenance; (2) foreign government partner procurement of cyber and digital technologies from suppliers aligned with strategic competitors of the United States poses significant and distinct risks, including— (A) supply chain vulnerabilities created by dependence on strategic competitors whose governments may compel access to data, networks, or systems, undermining the cybersecurity and strategic autonomy of the procuring government; (B) the erosion of interoperability and alignment with United States cybersecurity frameworks, standards, and best practices, reducing the ability of foreign government partners to operate securely alongside United States systems and those of United States allies; and (C) the adoption of digital governance practices that are inconsistent with United States economic and national security interests; (3) United States foreign government partners consistently signal strong demand for cyber and digital technologies from trusted United States suppliers; (4) United States initiatives such as Pax Silica should facilitate technology procurements by building enduring technology partnerships between foreign government partners and United States suppliers, including by— (A) assisting foreign government partners in navigating regulatory, logistical, and technical hurdles to cyber and digital technology procurement; (B) providing foreign government partners with strategic direction from the United States Government; (C) incorporating foreign government partner needs into program development from the outset; and (D) maintaining long-term engagement with foreign government partners throughout the procurement cycle of trusted cyber and digital technologies; and (5) as the United States seeks to maintain its global competitive edge in critical and emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, advanced telecommunications, and robotics, it is in the interest of the United States Government to establish policies and procedures that streamline foreign government partners’ ability to procure trusted and reliable technologies from the United States and United States allies and partners.