Rep. Scott Perry demands data center transparency amid US national security concerns
Rep. Scott Perry questioned officials during a House Intelligence Committee hearing, demanding greater transparency regarding data centers across the US. He emphasized the need to educate the American public about data center operations, including crypto mining and frontier modeling, which he believes have national security implications. Perry also raised concerns about Chinese foreign national land purchases and the broader Chinese Communist Party threat.
During a recent House Intelligence Committee hearing, Representative Scott Perry (R-PA) pressed officials for increased transparency concerning data centers across the United States. Perry highlighted the need to better inform the American public about data center activities, specifically mentioning crypto mining and "frontier modeling," and questioned why the government was not more proactive in addressing potential threats and informing citizens about developments in their communities.
Perry's questioning extended to broader national security concerns, including intellectual property theft, land purchases by Chinese foreign nationals (citing a 1,500-acre acquisition near Naval Air Station Lemoore in California), and the pervasive influence of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). He challenged witnesses, including Mr. Feith, on whether Chinese nationals connected to the CCP should be permitted to buy US land or own companies like Smithfield Foods, advocating for definitive "yes or no" answers instead of what he described as "gobbledygook.
Dr. Jones suggested declassified assessments of the Chinese threat to the homeland would benefit the US population, drawing parallels to Cold War-era Soviet assessments. Another official, Frank, discussed the difference between tactical actions (arrests, prosecutions) and strategic goals, questioning if current efforts genuinely deter adversarial behavior. Perry concluded by reiterating the critical need to inform the public about these complex issues, stating, "We have got to inform them, and we have not done it."