{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.lee.senate.gov/2026/6/lee-shaheen-introduce-bipartisan-bill-keeping-foreign-spies-out-of-american-waters", "Lee, Shaheen Introduce Bipartisan Bill Keeping Foreign Spies Out of American Waters", "2026-06-15", "2026", "2026-06", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "Mike Lee", "L000577", "www.lee.senate.gov", "mikelee", "https://www.lee.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senators Mike Lee (R-UT) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) introduced the Arctic Security and Diplomacy Act, a bipartisan bill to keep spy ships from adversarial nations such as China and Russia from conducting research and espionage operations in American waters.\n\n\u201cThe United States must not tolerate China\u2019s increasing incursions into US waters under the guise of surveys and research,\u201d said Senator Mike Lee. \u201cThis legislation shuts the door to foreign adversaries attempting to commit espionage and exercise influence at our doorstep in the Arctic, affirming the sole right of the American people to determine who may approach their shores, from the Aleutians to the Beaufort Sea.\u201d\n\n\u201cI recently returned from a bipartisan congressional delegation to Canada, Greenland, Norway and Iceland, where we heard firsthand how Russia and China are expanding their presence and influence across the Arctic,\u201d said Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Jeanne Shaheen. \u201cAs these adversaries deepen their cooperation in the region, the United States must deepen our own partnerships with Arctic allies to protect our waters, critical infrastructure and national security interests. This bipartisan legislation will help ensure that foreign vessels linked to China, Russia and other adversaries cannot exploit scientific research as a cover for espionage or intelligence-gathering activities in American waters, while strengthening our ability to identify and respond to emerging threats in the Arctic.\u201d\n\nBackground\n\nThe Russian Federation and People\u2019s Republic of China \u2013 allied adversaries of the United States \u2013 are colluding to enhance their competitive presence in the Arctic region. Russia controls approximately 53% of the arctic coastline, and has significantly expanded its military infrastructure in the region. Likewise, the U.S. Department of War reported \u201can unprecedented number of Chinese military and research vessels operated in or near U.S. Arctic waters\u201d in 2025. The two nations have openly collaborated to establish a \u201cpolar silk road\u201d for shipping and resource extraction through the Arctic, and have each used their access to target northern countries such as Canada and the Netherlands in various espionage operations.\n\nThis documented threat necessitates a focused and strategic defense by the United States to protect America\u2019s Arctic waters from adversarial espionage.\n\nThe Arctic Security and Diplomacy Act codifies a proclamation by President Trump requiring foreign vessels to request authorization from the U.S. Department of State before conducting research in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and on its continental shelf. Furthermore, the bill builds on President Trump\u2019s action by prohibiting foreign vessels from adversarial nations such as China and Russia from conducting such research in American waters at all.\n\nThe Arctic Security and Diplomacy Act:\n\nRequires foreign vessels to request and receive consent from the U.S. Department of State prior to conducting maritime research in American waters\n\nDisqualifies all vessels of \u2013 or reasonably suspected to be associated with \u2013 adversarial nations such as China and Russia from obtaining consent to conduct maritime research in American waters\n\nRequires the U.S. Secretary of State to produce a strategy in collaboration with the Secretary of War and intelligence community leaders to identify and combat espionage and influence operations by foreign adversaries in the Arctic\n\nRequires the U.S. Secretary of State to submit a report to Congress on espionage and influence operations by foreign adversaries in the Arctic and in American waters\n\nRequires U.S. federal agencies to share information related to relevant maritime research with the U.S. Department of State, unless otherwise prohibited by law\n\nRead exclusive coverage by Intelligence Online here.\n\nAccess the full bill text here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-06-16T06:53:21Z", "2026-06-16T06:55:02Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.lee.senate.gov/2026/6/lee-shaheen-introduce-bipartisan-bill-keeping-foreign-spies-out-of-american-waters"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.0884669609367847, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}