“The United States and our allies will not prevent countries from doing business with Chinese companies like Huawei on the basis of security concerns alone, though there are a number of them. We must provide an alternative service or product that is better, more secure and less costly. We need to respond by out-innovating our opponent.”

American politician and former CIA clandestine officer

William Ballard Hurd is an American politician and former CIA clandestine officer. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives for Texas's 23rd congressional district from 2015 to 2021. Hurd's public career has combined intelligence work and electoral politics. He is known for representing a large and politically varied district in Texas, and for a career that moved from the CIA's covert service into Congress.