The US would be compelled to impose sanctions on foreigners who sabotage undersea cables carrying global communications under a new bipartisan proposal.
The bill from Sens. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., and Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., also calls for the US to devote more resources, and expand work with allies and international bodies, to secure and repair subsea fiber-optic cables, which are thought to be at growing risk of attack by Russia and China.
The bill, the details of which were shared first with Semafor, would also mandate a report to Congress within 180 days on China and Russia’s efforts to sabotage these cables.
“As the world witnesses an uptick in cable cuts such as in the Baltic Sea and the Taiwan Strait this past year, the United States must position itself to respond to these evolving threats,” Shaheen said.