Utah Valley Times

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators Mitt Romney (R-UT) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) have introduced bipartisan legislation aimed at enhancing the enforcement of U.S. export controls to safeguard national security. The Export Controls Enforcement Improvement Act seeks to bolster the Export Enforcement Coordination Center, an interagency hub for information sharing and coordination among key agencies responsible for export control enforcement.

"Export controls are a key national security tool to protect American technology from being acquired and used by our adversaries," stated Senator Romney. He further emphasized the importance of preventing countries like China, Russia, and Iran from acquiring sensitive American-developed technology through evasion of U.S. export controls. The proposed legislation aims to provide the Export Enforcement Coordination Center with the necessary resources to effectively lead enforcement and coordination efforts in this regard.

Senator Hassan echoed the sentiment, saying, "We must prevent our adversaries from acquiring and misusing American-developed technology." The bipartisan legislation intends to strengthen export controls by enhancing resources for detecting, investigating, and preventing potential export violations.

The Export Controls Enforcement Improvement Act, championed by Senators Romney and Hassan, highlights the significance of reinforcing the enforcement of export controls. The senators are set to lead an Emerging Threats and Spending Oversight Subcommittee hearing with officials from the Biden Administration to discuss ensuring government agencies are adequately equipped to enforce export controls. This includes enhancing interagency and private sector coordination to safeguard sensitive U.S. technology.

In a previous initiative, Senators Romney and Hassan had requested an assessment from the Government Accountability Office regarding the Department of Commerce's export controls on advanced semiconductors and related technologies to restrict their transfer to China and other adversaries.

The legislative proposal underscores the ongoing efforts of Senators Romney and Hassan to prioritize the enforcement of export controls, with a focus on enhancing national security measures surrounding sensitive American technology.