Ranking Member Shaheen, Senator Barrasso Applaud Committee Unanimous Passage of Legislation to Boost U.S. Government Coordination and International Engagement on Subsea Cables

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and John Barrasso (R-WY) released a statement following the passage of their bipartisan "Strategic Subsea Cables Act of 2025" to enhance the U.S. government's international engagement as it relates to the security, installation and maintenance and repair of critical undersea infrastructure, including subsea fiber-optic cables.

"Subsea fiber-optic cables and other critical undersea infrastructure underpin nearly all global communications and are increasingly targeted by adversaries seeking to disrupt our economies, our militaries and our alliances. Our bipartisan legislation strengthens U.S. coordination at home and engagement abroad to deter malicious activity, improve information-sharing with industry and allies, and ensure the United States is better prepared to respond to these threats. We're proud to see this bill advance out of committee unanimously and look forward to continuing to work together to get it signed into law."

Key provisions of the bill:

• Calls for increased diplomatic efforts with U.S. allies and partners to address the security, maintenance and repair of critical undersea infrastructure, including by requiring the Department of State to hire at least ten dedicated full-time staff to advance these efforts;

• Strengthens U.S. government engagement in relevant international bodies such as the International Cable Protection Committee (ICPC) to advance U.S. interests;

• Requires the President to impose sanctions against foreign individuals who have intentionally damaged critical undersea infrastructure, including subsea fiber-optic cables;

• Requires the President to establish an interagency committee to coordinate efforts related to subsea fiber-optic cables and mandates a federal strategy to work with industry partners, address permitting delays and to prepare for malicious threats; and

• Requires federal agencies to develop procedures to ensure the timely communication of threat information with subsea fiber-optic cable operators and owners to improve their situational awareness and prepare protective measures.

Full text of the bill can be found HERE.

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