Rep. DelBene (D-WA1), Rep. McMorris-Rodgers (R-WA5) and Rep. Eshoo (D-CA18) are three female Congressional leaders working to shape a pragmatic future for the American tech sector. Effectively countering the technology threat posed by the People’s Republic of China takes policymakers, leaders and experts from all parts of the political spectrum. In today’s Congress, three representatives from the West Coast are leading the charge to create responsible, progressive tech policy that will allow for the American tech sector to continue its growth trajectory while also curtailing foreign influence.
Congress has taken important steps to restrict Huawei, control the export of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, and protect Americans’ privacy and security from apps like TikTok. Leaders like Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers are driving the other part of the equation, launching an American leadership strategy to beat China through technology and competitiveness with 15 bills, 9 with bipartisan support. Rep. DelBene takes on policy from a different angle, seen in her proposed Information Transparency and Personal Data Control Act, endorsed by New Democrat Caucus and joined by 34 Democrat co-sponsors.
Rep. Eshoo takes her legislative focus to hardware, identifying the risks that Chinese-government sponsored firms pose to supply chains. Rep. Eshoo was supportive of the controls placed on Chinese-technology giant Huawei, supporting “measures to create a mechanism for the federal government to exclude Huawei and ZTE equipment from our networks and to establish a program to ‘rip and replace’ existing equipment made by the companies.”
As the United States – and countries all over the world – march towards election season, it is vital that tech issues sit at the forefront of policy and national security policy. The leadership provided by these Congresswomen is invaluable, and only through bipartisan cooperation can tech policy be created effectively and efficiently.
See Dr. Layton’s exclusive interviews with Reps. Delbene, McMorris-Rodgers and Eshoo on her Forbes page here.