West STL News

Congresswoman Ann Wagner (R-MO), Vice Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, released a statement following the passage of her Export Control Enforcement and Enhancement Act in the House. The legislation aims to streamline procedures to prevent sensitive American technologies from being sold to foreign adversaries.

“China, Iran, and Russia have formed a new axis of evil to attack our national security interests and help each other circumvent U.S. export controls. They have created a massive network designed to maintain the flow of controlled Western technologies to dictatorships like Russia, Iran, and North Korea, with China at the center. The current export control regime is simply too slow and cumbersome to prevent Chinese and other companies from accessing sensitive technologies that can be used to give our adversaries a military edge,” Wagner stated.

The bill seeks to enhance the roles of the Departments of State, Defense, and Energy by allowing them greater ability to propose changes to the Entity List. This list includes foreign companies, research institutions, and individuals deemed serious national security risks who are prohibited from purchasing sensitive American products. The proposed legislation mandates that these recommendations be addressed within thirty days to avoid bureaucratic delays.

“These reforms will make our export control regime agile and airtight, and they will give the United States the tools to fight back when our adversaries try to cheat the system,” Wagner concluded.