Casey’s Secure Smartports Act, which protects American ports from the threat of cyberattacks by the Chinese Communist Party, included in Senate intelligence package
Package also includes Casey provision to stop the flow of fentanyl in U.S.
Washington, D.C. - Today, a U.S. Senate committee approved several vital provisions advanced by U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) to stop fentanyl at the border, protect U.S ports from Chinese cybersecurity threats, and thwart Chinese efforts to evade U.S. regulations and access American technology. The U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, of which Casey is a member, voted to include the provisions in the Intelligence Authorization Act of 2024, which now moves to the Senate floor.
“Our Nation is faced with serious threats from abroad, from the flow of fentanyl across our border and into our communities or the Chinese Community Party evading our laws and compromising our supply chains and infrastructure,” said Senator Bob Casey (D-PA). “I fought to ensure this year’s intelligence package includes vital provisions to neutralize these threats and keep Americans families and communities safe.”
The Intelligence Authorization Act of 2024 includes several provisions that Senator Casey advanced, including:
- Casey’s Secure Smartports Act, which directs the Office of the Director of National Intelligence’s (ODNI) National Counterintelligence and Security Center (NCSC) to develop and implement a plan to help companies and port systems safeguard against the risks of using Chinese technology that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could use to spy on, and potentially take control of our critical infrastructure and supply chains.
- A provision directing intelligence agencies to increase intelligence sharing DEA and DHS to help prevent the flow of fentanyl across the border. Preventing the spread of fentanyl into American communities is a top priority for Senator Casey, who introduced the Stop Fentanyl at the Border Act and fought to pass the FEND Off Fentanyl Act earlier this year.
- A provision to direct ODNI to submit a report to Congress on efforts by the Chinese Communist Party to evade export controls and other regulations designed to create transparency on CCP technology theft. Casey advanced this provision after the Senate passed his bipartisan Outbound Investment Transparency Act in 2023, which would give the U.S. visibility into vulnerabilities and risks posed when the Chinese government has access to American technology and know-how in national security sectors.
