Assessment Into Foreign Participation In American Telecommunications Sector

Ed.' note: What is the significance of this executive order signed by President Trump on April 4, 2020? Could this be a reversal of the Smith-Mundt Modernization Act to lift or end official state propaganda as some have been discussing? Although this is only an "assessment of foreign participation in the telecommunications services," will it include a full investigation into Chinese and Israel participation in America's telecommunications sector including 5G? Also to include an assessment of Chinese telecom companies operating in Israel?

DID YOU KNOW?: Two Secretive Israeli Companies Reportedly Bugged The US Telecommunications Grid For The NSA

'Made in China 2025': How 5G could put China in charge of the wireless backbone and ahead of the pack

The United States and China - A Different Kind of Cyberwar
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Source: The White House

Executive Order on Establishing

the Committee for the Assessment

of Foreign Participation in the

United States

Telecommunications Services

Sector

INFRASTRUCTURE & TECHNOLOGY |    Issued on: April 4, 2020

*   *   *

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 301 of title 3, United States Code, it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1. Policy. The security, integrity, and availability of United States telecommunications networks are vital to United States national security and law enforcement interests.

Sec. 2. Definitions. For purposes of this order:

(a) "License" means any license, certificate of public interest, or other authorization issued or granted by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) after referral of an application by the FCC to the Committee established by subsection 3(a) of this order or, if referred before the date of this order, to the group of executive departments and agencies involved in the review process that was previously in place.

(b) "Application" means any application, petition, or other request for a license or authorization, or the transfer of a license or authorization, that is referred by the FCC to the Committee established in subsection 3(a) of this order or that was referred by the FCC before the date of this order to the group of executive departments and agencies involved in the review process that was previously in place.

(c) "Intelligence Community" shall have the meaning assigned to it in subsection 3.5(h) of Executive Order 12333 of December 4, 1981 (United States Intelligence Activities), as amended.

(d) "Mitigation measures" shall mean both standard and non-standard mitigation measures.

(e) "Standard mitigation measures" shall be those measures agreed upon by the Committee Members (as defined in subsection 3(b) of this order) and Committee Advisors (as defined in subsection 3(d) of this order).

Sec. 3. Establishment. (a) There is hereby established the Committee for the Assessment of Foreign Participation in the United States Telecommunications Services Sector (Committee), the primary objective of which shall be to assist the FCC in its public interest review of national security and law enforcement concerns that may be raised by foreign participation in the United States telecommunications services sector. The function of the Committee shall be:

(i) to review applications and licenses for risks to national security and law enforcement interests posed by such applications or licenses; and

(ii) to respond to any risks presented by applications or licenses by recommending to the FCC, as appropriate and consistent with the provisions of this order, that it dismiss an application, deny an application, condition the grant of an application upon compliance with mitigation measures, modify a license with a condition of compliance with mitigation measures, or revoke a license.

(b) The Committee shall be composed of the following members (Committee Members):

(i) the Secretary of Defense;

(ii) the Attorney General;

(iii) the Secretary of Homeland Security; and

(iv) the head of any other executive department or agency, or any Assistant to the President, as the President determines appropriate.

(c) The Attorney General shall serve as Chair of the Committee (Chair).

(d) The following officials shall be advisors to the Committee (Committee Advisors) with no role in the duties set forth in sections 4 through 11 of this order except as provided in subsections 6(c), 9(f), 9(g), 10(g), and 11(d) of this order:

(i) the Secretary of State;

(ii) the Secretary of the Treasury;

(iii) the Secretary of Commerce;

(iv) the Director of the Office of Management and Budget;

(v) the United States Trade Representative;

(vi) the Director of National Intelligence;

(vii) the Administrator of General Services;

(viii) the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs;

(ix) the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy;

(x) the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy;

(xi) the Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers; and

(xii) any other Assistant to the President, as the President determines appropriate.

(e) The Committee Members and Committee Advisors may, subject to the limitations in this order, designate a senior executive from their entity to perform the functions described in this order on their behalf.

Sec. 4. Duties of Committee Chair and Members. (a) The Chair shall designate one or more Committee Members to serve as the lead for executing any function of the Committee (Lead Member). The Chair may assign to a Lead Member any or all of the following responsibilities as appropriate and consistent with their statutory authorities:

(i) submitting to applicants or licensees any questions or requests for information to establish facts about an application or license necessary to conduct the reviews and assessments described in sections 5 and 6 of this order;

(ii) identifying risks to national security or law enforcement interests of the United States raised by an application or license, in consultation, as appropriate, with other Committee Members;

(iii) coordinating with other Committee Members on the reviews and assessments described in sections 5 and 6 of this order;

(iv) proposing, in coordination with the Chair, any mitigation measures necessary to address any risk to national security or law enforcement interests of the United States identified through the risk-based analysis described in subsection 9(c) of this order;

(v) coordinating with other Committee Members and communicating with applicants or licensees regarding any mitigation measures necessary to address risks to national security and law enforcement interests of the United States;

(vi) monitoring compliance with, and coordinating with the Committee regarding, any mitigation measure the Committee recommends be imposed by the FCC as a condition on a license; or

(vii) any related responsibilities as specified by the Chair.

(b) Except as otherwise provided in this order, the Chair shall have the exclusive authority to act, or to authorize other Committee Members to act, on behalf of the Committee, including communicating with the FCC and with applicants or licensees on behalf of the Committee.

(c) In acting on behalf of the Committee, the Chair or a Lead Member, as applicable, shall keep the Committee fully informed of the Chair's or Lead Member’s respective activities taken under this order and shall consult with the Committee before taking any material actions under this order.

Please go to The White House to read the entire executive order.
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A few thoughts on executive orders which can only be signed by a private corporation:

Dear Mr. Trump - 6 April 2020