The top members of a U.S. House committee on China are introducing a bill that seeks to ban the U.S. government from buying Chinese drones.
Mike Gallagher, the Republican chair of the committee, and Raja Krishnamoorthi, the ranking Democrat, are introducing the “American Security Drone Act” on Wednesday, the lawmakers said in a statement to Reuters.
“This bill would prohibit the federal government from using American taxpayer dollars to purchase this equipment from countries like China,” Gallagher said. “It is imperative that Congress pass this bipartisan bill to protect U.S. interests and our national security supply chain.”
The bill would also bar local and state governments from purchasing Chinese drones using federal grants and require a federal report detailing the amount of foreign commercial off-the-shelf drones and covered unmanned aircraft systems procured by federal departments and agencies from China.
Krishnamoorthi said the bill
“helps protect against any vulnerabilities posed by our government agencies’ reliance on foreign-manufactured drone technology and will encourage growth in the U.S. drone industry.”
Separately, the U.S. Senate on Tuesday unanimously approved an amendment proposed by Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn and Democrat Mark Warner that would prohibit the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) from operating or providing federal funds for drones produced in China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Venezuela or Cuba.
“Taxpayer dollars should never fund drones manufactured in regions that are hostile toward our nation,” Blackburn said.
China recently announced export controls on some drones and drone-related equipment, saying it wanted to safeguard “national security and interests.”
The Commerce Department in 2020 imposed export restrictions on China-based drone manufacturer DJI, accusing it of complicity in the oppression of China’s Uyghur minority and helping the military.
Over 50% of drones sold in the United States are made by DJI, and they are the most popular drones in use by public safety agencies, Republican lawmakers said earlier this year.
Congress in 2019 banned the Pentagon from buying or using drones and components manufactured in China.
FOOTNOTE
The American Security Drone Act seeks to ban the federal government from using American taxpayer dollars to purchase or operate Chinese drones, which account for over 50% of all the drones sold in the US.
Lawmakers say the majority of those drones are from one Chinese company – DJI – and are being used by multiple US public safety agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, Secret Service, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the US Coast Guard.
“For years, I’ve been sounding the alarm on the risks that Chinese-made drones pose to United States’ national security”
said Florida Senator Rick Scott, who spearheaded the legislation.
“The US cannot and will not sit idly by while Xi and the Chinese Communist Party operate within the confines of our government to spy and gather intel on our nation through drones from Chinese-based companies like DJI,” Scott said.
The Shenzhen-based company had hired two lobbyist firms back in July to try and persuade Congress to dismiss the Act.
Once enacted, the American Security Drone Act would also apply to local and state governments, prohibiting them from buying Chinese drones using any federal funds derived from grants, contracts or other agreements.
The Act would also require local and state agencies to file a federal report detailing their current inventory of commercial off-the-shelf drones and unmanned aircraft systems obtained from other countries, like China, identified as national security threats.
Lastly, the bill would provide agencies with a timeline to end the current use of foreign-made drones.
Several agencies, including the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, and Justice, would be exempt from the bill’s prohibitions under conditions specified in the bill.. Other agencies could apply for a waiver on a case-by-case basis, according to the bill.
The Act is now part of the FY2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which was approved in July.
Additionally, another amendment related to the American Security Drone Act was passed unanimously by the Senate on Tuesday.
Besides restricting federal funding, the Senate measure takes the Act a step further by also prohibiting the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) from buying or operating drones produced specifically in China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Venezuela, or Cuba.
The amendment will be added to an Appropriations Minibus funding package for Military Construction-VA, Agriculture, and Transportation agencies to be voted on this week.
US Drone Industry Could Get Needed Boost
Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle say both bills will help to boost the drone manufacturing industry in the US.
“The United States should lead the world in drone production and investment”
said Senator Mark Warner (D-VA), who has been vocal on the issues in June.
“Our reliance on drones from foreign adversaries like the People’s Republic of China, which has shown time and time again it will do whatever it takes to get its hands on sensitive American data, is extremely risky,”
Warner said.