Spread the love

WASHINGTON – This morning, the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously approved Congressman Robert Pittenger’s amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 2810) to crack down on international businesses that support North Korean cyberattacks.

“My amendment is simple – it prohibits telecommunications companies that provide material support for North Korean cyberattacks from contracting with our Defense Department,” said Congressman Pittenger (NC-09) during floor debate. “While my amendment is simple in nature, it strikes at the heart of what I believe to be the cornerstone of North Korea policy.

“For far too long, China has enabled the North Korean government to pursue nuclear development, global provocation, and egregious human rights violations. The Chinese government is simply not a good faith partner on the issue of North Korea.”

Congressman Pittenger’s amendment to the FY2018 National Defense Authorization Act:

*Directs the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) to create a list of telecom firms who provide essential services or who have been otherwise complicit in enabling North Korean cyberattacks.

*Prohibits the Department of Defense from doing business with these firms.

*Provides President Trump with a national security waiver to bypass this amendment on a case-by-case basis.

The FY2018 National Defense Authorization Act provides nearly $696 billion dollars to fund America’s military, including the largest pay raise for our brave troops in eight years. The FY2018 NDAA passed the U.S. House of Representatives by a strong bipartisan majority of 344-81.