Washington, D.C. – Congressman Darin LaHood (IL-16), a member of the House Ways and Means Committee and Co-Chair of the Digital Trade Caucus, joined the POLITICO Tech podcast to discuss digital trade policy, his effort to reverse the Biden Administration's abandonment of key bipartisan digital trade proposals at the the World Trade Organization (WTO), and risks posed by China. LaHood joined Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (D-WA) for the joint, bipartisan interview.
(Click here to listen to the full podcast)
In November, Reps. LaHood and DelBene led a bipartisan effort pushing back on the Biden Administration's decision to pull out of key digital trade proposals at the WTO.
Key Quotes from Rep. LaHood
"I share the concerns of many of my colleagues as it pertains to China and that we not allow China to write the rules of the road for the digital economy. The PRC’s restrictive model of digital governance advanced through their Golden Shield Project, or the “Great Firewall” and its Digital Silk Road Initiative promotes censorship, surveillance, human rights abuses, forced technology transfers and severely restricts the free flow of data. We should be the ones writing the rules for the future..."
"If you look at the digital chapters of USMCA, which we passed in a bipartisan way, we addressed competition, protectionist data flows, localization restrictions, and web blocking. I would argue that those digital chapters should be the formula moving forward and should be embraced by the Biden Administration."
“Our allies around the globe, particularly in the Indo-Pacific, are craving U.S. leadership. It's really important that we step up to the plate. We've had a number of bipartisan letters pressing upon the Administration to be engaged on digital trade. I wish I could tell you that we were at a point where I thought I had confidence that they (the Biden Administration) have the kind of the same level of enthusiasm that we have. But I don't have that confidence at this point."
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