Barrasso Urges Senate Passage of Strategic Subsea Cables Act

“America depends on the fragile nervous system of subsea cables for modern life. Protecting that system is crucial. Our adversaries seek to turn the bottom of the ocean into a battlefield. The Strategic Subsea Cables Act would make America safer and more secure in our network under the waves.” WASHINGTON D.C. – Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) today spoke about the importance of passing the Strategic Subsea Cables Act , bipartisan legislation introduced with Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.). As Russia and China target and sabotage critical underwater infrastructure, this legislation would help secure and repair subsea cables, strengthening America’s economy and national security. Click HERE to watch Senator Barrasso’s remarks. Sen. Barrasso’s remarks as prepared: “Life as we know it would be very different without the internet. That raises an important question: How does it get into our homes? For most users around the world, the internet travels to them from the ocean floor. More specifically, it travels through fragile, largely unprotected fiber-optic cables that sit on the ocean floor. They’re called undersea cables. “Hundreds of these cables crisscross the world’s seabed. On average, they rest about 8,000 feet below sea level. They’re essential. And they are exposed. Stretched end to end, these cables would reach nearly a million miles. That is a far greater distance than Artemis II traveled from Earth to the Moon and back again. “Here on Earth, undersea cables are important for a variety of reasons. They carry 99 percent of the world’s internet traffic. They also support $10 trillion in financial transactions each and every day. Undersea cables are essential for our economy, our military, our communications, and our daily lives. “I’m a doctor. A map of subsea cables reminds me of an anatomy textbook – specifically the nervous system. Here’s how I see it. Imagine that the Earth is a human body. Undersea cables are the nervous system of modern life. “All of these connections make the world more prosperous. That is especially true as America develops innovative new technology. Yet there is also a serious problem. The world’s undersea cable network is facing growing threats from America’s foes. “The danger comes from Russia and China. Our adversaries seek to hold our connectivity hostage. They are trying to do so by mapping, by splicing, and by sabotaging our system of undersea cables. This can be done simply by dragging an anchor across the cables or having submarines attack them. “China has become especially aggressive, specifically when it comes to Taiwan. According to Taiwan’s National Security Bureau, over the past four years, there have been around 30 subsea cable incidents. In one, Chinese vessels allegedly cut cables to the Matsu islands. These are islands controlled by Taiwan. The islands are connected to the rest of the world by two tiny undersea cables. Both of those cables were cut. It took months – yes, months – to repair them. Such operations disrupt communications and undermine national defense and global security. “Not every instance of cable cutting is deliberate. However, cable cutting incidents are becoming more frequent and suspicious. “So what can we do to prevent them? For the past several years, NATO has responded with military patrols. These ongoing missions have been successful. Still, more needs to be done. The next step is to target bad actors economically. “Today, the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations is holding a hearing on recent attacks against critical infrastructure. That includes undersea cables. It also includes energy pipelines. “I’m a member of this committee. Senator Shaheen and I introduced legislation to address these vulnerabilities. It’s called the Strategic Subsea Cables Act . This is a bipartisan bill. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee passed it in January by an overwhelming margin. “Our bill mandates tough penalties against individuals and vessels who attack undersea cables. Those penalties include blocking violators from our markets and revoking their U.S. visas. Our bill also has America deploy more resources to secure and repair undersea cables. At the same time, it requires a report to Congress in six months, specifically on Russian and Chinese sabotage efforts. These actions put our adversaries on notice that their actions will face stiff and severe consequences. “Private companies are already hardening cables where they can. Congress ought to act as a backstop as those defenses meet deliberate aggression from China and Russia. These are nations whose goal is to harm America and our allies. “As a doctor, I know that damage to a single fragile nerve can cause serious disruption across the entire body. America depends on the fragile nervous system of subsea cables for modern life. Protecting that system is crucial. “Our adversaries seek to turn the bottom of the ocean into a battlefield. The Strategic Subsea Cables Act would make America safer and more secure in our network under the waves.” ###