Today, the congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar ( FL-27 ), Michael Waltz ( FL-06 ), Claudia Tenney ( NY-22 ) and a dozen Republican lawmakers introduced the American Freedom and Internet Access Act ( H.R. 5123 ). This bill implements “ Operation Starfall, ” a strategic plan to provide access to wireless communications abroad and ensure we are ready when blackouts occur, disasters or when dishonest regimes close Internet access. This is essential to protect the safety and well-being of American citizens at home and abroad.
“ The administration of President Biden refused to help the Cuban people when they needed it most, so Congress must act to ensure that we have a clear strategy to implement in times of crisis, ” Representative Salazar commented. “ We cannot stay on the sidelines when tyrants turn off lights and when American security is in jeopardy. With Operation Starfall, we can improve national security and be prepared to restore the Internet, the freedom and prosperity of those in need. ”
“ President Biden's administration failed when the Cuban people most needed their solidarity when they took to the streets to oppose the country's communist regime, ” representative Waltz said. “ Congress must now step forward to fill the gap in White House leadership and provide the people of Cuba and other parts of the world with access to information and communication that your government refuses to allow. Operation Starfall will help expose the grotesque human rights abuses that occur in Cuba and other repressive regimes and will provide a platform for those seeking freedom from oppression. Consider how even more tragic the withdrawal from Afghanistan would have been during a blackout and the Americans had no method of communication. ”
“ When dictatorships and authoritarian regimes face pressure from their own people to reform, the first thing they do is cut off Internet access. In recent years, this pattern of malicious behavior has developed worldwide, from Havana to Tehran. The United States is the most technologically advanced nation in the world and we have the tools to circumvent these closings and stop censorship. We cannot stand still and allow the voices of those living under tyranny to be silenced. It is an honor for me to join Representatives Salazar and Waltz to introduce the American Freedom and Internet Access Act. Operation Starfall will expand our ability to provide reliable and secure connectivity and circumvention tools to those who need them most in times of crisis, ” representative Tenney said.
Operation Starfall is a strategic plan to deploy stratospheric balloons, aerostats, or satellite technology capable of rapidly delivering wireless Internet anywhere on the planet from high altitudes. With the use of emerging technologies that already exist in the private sector, it can be used to create wireless Internet networks that cover a target geographic territory. In the home environment, Operation Starfall could be implemented across the United States after floods, hurricanes, or forest fire devastation when local communications infrastructure is disabled.
Operation Starfall leverages American innovation to empower citizens and strengthen democracy by exposing regimes that repress access to information and violate fundamental human rights. In the wake of recent historical protests in Cuba, the brutal communist regime closed all Internet access on the island while torturing and imprisoning peaceful pro-democracy protesters. Also, in 2019, the Iranian regime did the same when the Iranian people courageously took to the streets to demand their freedom. ¿Will we be willing to act, if asked, to support future cries against oppression?
As we watch the tragic events unfolding in Afghanistan today, we are reminded that it is imperative that the United States give its armed forces all potential capabilities to protect people around the world, especially to Americans abroad who are in danger of death if the power grid and cell service are closed. The largest country in the world should have the bandwidth available to protect its citizens abroad and to
enhance freedom of expression and access to information worldwide.
The dozen legislators who have joined this effort to improve military readiness and ensure we have an ongoing plan include representatives Alex Mooney ( WV-02 ), Carlos Gimenez ( FL-26 ), Nicole Malliotakis ( NY-11 ), Brian Mast ( FL-18 ), Bill Posey ( FL-11 ), Rick Crawford ( AR-01 <, Steven Palazzo ( MS-02 ), Ann Wagner ( OM-02 ) and Jody Hé ( GA-10 ), Jim Baird ( IN-04 ) and Pat Fallon ( TX-04 ).
Congresswoman Salazar currently represents Florida's beautiful 27th congressional district, which includes most of the city of Miami, its suburbs and beaches. She is a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives and is the only woman who is part of the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee.
Original source can be found here.
