Senator Banks Joins President Trump in Oval Office for Signing of Banks’ First Senate Bill Signed into Law

WASHINGTON, D.C, – Today, Senator Jim Banks (R-Ind.) joined President Trump in the Oval Office for the signing of the Maintaining American Superiority by Improving Export Control Transparency Act into federal law.

This marks a significant achievement as the first bill signed into federal law authored by Senator Jim Banks (R-Ind.).

This bipartisan law, co-led by Senator Mark Warner (D-Va.), was the first piece of legislation introduced by Senator Banks to pass the Senate. It passed unanimously on July 22^nd. 

The House companion, sponsored by Rep. Ronny Jackson (TX-13), passed in the U.S. House of Representatives on May 5^th. Rep. Sara Jacobs (CA-51) was the Democratic co-lead.

This billwould provide the transparency that Congress needs to ensure that the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) is upholding an effective export control system and preventing U.S. adversaries from getting easy access to key defense goods or national security technologies. 

Senator Jim Banks (R-Ind.): “I was honored to join President Trump in the Oval Office today as he signed my first bill as a U.S. Senator into law. This law will help keep America safe by ensuring our sensitive technology doesn’t end up in the hands of China to be used against us. I promised Hoosiers I’d hold the Chinese Communist Party accountable, and this is an important first step.”

Rep. Ronny Jackson (TX-13): “Today, President Trump took decisive action to secure America’s supply chain and prevent cutting-edge technology from being acquired by our most dangerous adversaries. By signing the Maintaining American Superiority by Improving Export Control Transparency Act into law, we are securing the advanced technologies that keep our nation safe and ahead of China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. This law is an important step in protecting American innovations, strengthening our defenses, and ensuring the United States remains the undisputed leader in a rapidly changing and increasingly hostile world.”

Key Provisions of the Maintaining American Superiority by Improving Export Control Transparency Act require BIS to provide an annual report to Congress on export control licensing, including:

• For every license application, information about the applicant and recipient, a description of the item, the value of the sale, and BIS’ decision whether to approve the license.
• A report on all export control enforcement activities conducted in the past year.

Full text of the bill can be found here.