Rep. Randy Fine on Improving DoD, Treasury, and Commerce Communication for Threat Designations

Ineffective Inter-Agency Communication

• 🎯 The current system involves three government agencies—the Department of War, Treasury, and Commerce—each maintaining separate lists of entities to avoid doing business with.
• 🧩 As of June 2023, there was significant overlap but also significant gaps in these lists, with only a small percentage of companies appearing on multiple lists.

Proposed Bill's Objective

• 💡 The core of the bill is to mandate that if one federal agency identifies a harmful actor (e.g., Chinese, terrorist), other agencies monitoring similar lists must review whether that actor should be on their own lists.
• ⚠️ While not forcing inclusion, the bill requires agencies to justify their reasons if they choose to disagree with a partner agency's assessment.

Rationale for Enhanced Communication

• 🔑 If the Treasury Department designates an entity as a Specially Designated National, other agencies should consider its inclusion on their lists.
• 🔍 Similarly, if the Commerce Department restricts military end-user equipment purchases, the Department of War should be aware.
• 📊 The bill aims to streamline efforts to identify and act against bad actors by ensuring better information sharing between agencies like the Department of War and Treasury regarding Chinese military industrial complex entities.

Expected Impact

• ✅ This common-sense bill is expected to streamline efforts against global bad actors.
• 🚀 The improved communication and coordinated action are anticipated to materially enhance national safety and hold responsible parties accountable.