Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) has called on Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to prohibit non-U.S. citizens from accessing Department of Defense (DoD) systems. In a letter sent to Secretary Hegseth, Cotton urged immediate policy changes and highlighted concerns about foreign influence, particularly from the Chinese Communist Party.
“Foreign persons should never be allowed to access DoD systems, regardless of whether a U.S. citizen is supervising. The Department, particularly the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security, has the authority to immediately make these policy changes. I urge you to do so now,” Cotton wrote.
The senator acknowledged ongoing efforts by the Department of Defense to address risks associated with Chinese engineers’ access and digital escort programs. He emphasized that current DoD policy allows non-U.S. citizens some level of access, which he believes should be changed without delay.
Cotton stated his intention to work with other members of Congress to formalize such restrictions in law: “While you reform DoD policy, I will work with my colleagues to codify these actions in law to ensure changes made under your leadership are protected. Congress must prohibit non-U.S. citizens from accessing DoD systems under any circumstances and mandate DoD to revise its policies to comply with this prohibition.”
He also raised concerns about Microsoft’s business operations in China and requested a briefing from the Department regarding vulnerabilities found in cloud contracts and software services used by the military, as well as information on any steps taken to address them by September 5.
The letter was also addressed to Bradley Hansell, Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence & Security.
