A bipartisan Senate bill is proposing to redistribute unobligated COVID-19 relief funds to a Federal Communications Commission program to remove and replace purportedly risky network equipment made in China, the office of Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., announced Friday.
Sens. Fischer and John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., led the introduction of the Defend Our Networks Act, which aims to pull out 24,000 Chinese-made communications systems across the United States to protect national security.
FCC’s Rip and Replace Program was established to reimburse small communications companies that dispose high-risk equipment made in the Asian nation. The project is experiencing a budget shortfall of $3.08 billion as of 2022.
The new legislation would use roughly 3 percent of unspent budget originally allocated for emergency COVID-19 relief efforts to finance the Rip and Replace initiative.
“The current program shortfall is preventing eligible carriers from accessing the resources they need to cover the costs of replacing dangerous network gear,” Fischer said. “I’m proud to introduce the Defend Our Networks Act with Senator Hickenlooper to prioritize protecting our nation from rising threats posed by the CCP and supporting our rural communities.”
