Gimenez, Garamendi to roll out bipartisan bill to combat CCP 'undue influence' at US ports

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FIRST ON FOX: GOP Rep. Carlos Gimenez is rolling out a bipartisan measure that would combat the Chinese Communist Party’s "undue influence" over U.S. critical infrastructure projects.

Gimenez, who serves as chairman of the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Transportation and Maritime Security, is set to introduce "The Port Crane Security And Inspection Act of 2023" Wednesday afternoon. The bill would limit the operation of foreign cranes used at U.S. ports that are made by U.S. adversaries—such as China.

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 Rep. John Garamendi, D-Calif., is co-sponsoring the legislation. 

Rep. Carlos Gimenez, left, speaks at a podium at the Port of Miami, with Rep. Mike Gallagher, right.  (Gimenez)

The bill would require the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency to inspect foreign cranes before they are placed into operation for potential security vulnerabilities and would assess the threat posed by those security vulnerabilities on existing or newly-constructed foreign cranes.

The bill would also require CISA to report to Congress about the discovery of any critical and high-risk security vulnerabilities posed by foreign cranes at U.S. ports.

UNITED STATES - OCTOBER 25: Rep. John Garamendi, D-Calif., walks through the Capitol.  (Photo By Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call) (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

"The Communist regime in Beijing is America’s most significant national security threat. The Communist Party of China is not a competitor, but rather an adversary that actively undermines the United States and our geostrategic interests," Giménez told Fox News Digital, adding that he has been warning "for years" about "the need to decouple from Communist China and diversify our manufacturing capabilities."

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"The Port Crane Security & Inspection Act of 2023 guarantees that America’s ports are protected from cybersecurity attacks and potential security breaches by malign actors," he said. "Our seaports process over $1.5 trillion in trade every year and I’m proud to introduce this bipartisan legislation to protect both our economy and our public safety."

Rep. Gimenez, left, and Rep. Mike Gallagher, right, visit the port of Miami.  (Gimenez)

Gimenez, during his time as mayor of Miami-Dade County, addressed this issue at the Port of Miami, which is among the largest cargo ports for trade between the United States and Latin America. 

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Gimenez last month led a congressional delegation from the House China Select Committee to the Port of Miami to inspect Chinese-made cranes, amid fears that Beijing-made infrastructure could be conducting surveillance on U.S. ports and pose a risk to national security. 

The visit came amid reports that suggested that the Pentagon is now viewing giant cargo cranes as possible Chinese spying tools. The reports suggested Chinese equipment at ports could be used for surveillance.

Rep. Gimenez, front, and Rep. Gallagher, back, at the Port of Miami.  (Gimenez)

"There is zero evidence to support sensationalized claims that our equipment isn’t secure," stated Chris Connor, President and CEO of the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA). "As we have already stressed, the cranes our ports procure, based on cost, use separate software purchased from allied countries like Japan and Sweden, and they undergo rigorous security inspections with federal government partners to safeguard against cyber threats."

Gimenez has been warning about security at the ports for years and introduced similar legislation last Congress, including bills that required the inspection of certain foreign cranes before use at a U.S. port and that called for a study of cybersecurity and national security threats posed by foreign-manufactured cranes at U.S. ports.

In its annual threat assessment last month, the U.S. intelligence community warned that China represents the "broadest, most active, and persistent cyber espionage threat to U.S. Government and private-sector networks."

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"China’s cyber pursuits and its industry’s export of related technologies increase the threats of aggressive cyber operations against the U.S. homeland," officials warned, adding that China is "capable of launching cyberattacks that could disrupt critical infrastructure services within the United States, including against oil and gas pipelines, and rail systems."

Officials also warned that China is rapidly expanding and improving its surveillance, its artificial intelligence and big data analytics capabilities.

This story has been updated to include comment provided by the American Association of Port Authorities.