Dingell Requests Answers on Firings at the Department of Commerce

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-06) today sent a letter to Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick demanding transparency about national security impacts following recent firings at the Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), particularly within the Office of Information and Communications Technology and Services (OICTS).

"Recent public reporting indicates that senior leadership within OICTS was removed or reassigned following internal pressure, including the placement of a senior official on administrative leave," Dingell stated. "These developments have raised serious concerns about the Department's commitment to sustaining expertise, momentum, and enforcement capacity in addressing technology threats posed by the People's Republic of China (PRC) and other foreign adversaries."

"As you know, OICTS was established during President Trump's first term and has been widely viewed on a bipartisan basis as a critical office for securing U.S. technology supply chains, communications infrastructure, and Americans' sensitive data," Dingell continued. "The office played a central role in developing the rule restricting internet-connected passenger vehicles and related hardware and software with links to China or Russia, based on clear national security and data-security risks."

"I have consistently supported BIS's mission to protect the United States from foreign technological threats, including prior Department of Commerce actions to address risks posed by connected vehicles and communications technologies," Dingell concluded. "These technologies are deeply embedded in our daily lives and critical infrastructure and are no longer hypothetical risks. Allowing foreign adversary technologies to enter our domestic market threatens not only consumer privacy, but U.S. economic security and national resilience."

Read the full text of the letter here.