Last week, the U.S. House passed without opposition the “U.S. Supply Chain Security Review Act” from U.S. Reps. Jake Auchincloss, D-Mass., and Dan Webster, R-Fla.
Auchincloss, the ranking Democrat on the U.S. House Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee, introduced the bill in May with Webster, the chairman of the subcommittee, as the main co-sponsor.
The bill “ would require the Federal Maritime Commission to provide Congress a report assessing potential economic security risks of foreign ownership of marine terminals at the 15 largest U.S. container port.”
After clearing the subcommittee last month and the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee earlier in the month, the full House voted on the bill and passed it on a voice vote.
Webster weighed in after the vote.
“Seaports are a vital element of our nation’s supply chain, and critical to our economy and our national defense,” said Webster. “Ownership of our nation’s marine terminals by foreign adversaries like China and Russia could jeopardize our supply chain and threaten national security. This bipartisan legislation will help us better understand the threats presented by foreign ownership at U.S. container terminals, so that we can quickly address any vulnerabilities.”
Attention now turns to the U.S. Senate, where there currently is no companion measure.
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