Washington, DC – During her confirmation hearing, Governor Raimondo refused to commit to keeping Huawei on the Commerce Department’s Entity List. Following her refusal, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki also refused to make the commitment when was asked at two separate briefings. In response, House Foreign Affairs Committee Lead Republican Michael McCaul called on the Senate to hold Governor Raimondo’s confirmation until the Biden Administration gives a clear and direct answer on whether they plan to keep Huawei on the Commerce Department’s Entity List. 

Ahead of Wednesday’s expected vote on her confirmation by the Senate Commerce Committee, Lead Republican Michael McCaul is now joined by 20 Members asking the Senate to pause Governor Raimondo’s confirmation until the Biden Administration clarifies its export control policies. They are releasing the following document highlighting how Huawei poses a national security threat and the many bipartisan calls for it to remain on the Entity List – including calls from senior Democrats and Republicans in the U.S. Senate.

The following House Members joined Lead Republican McCaul: 

House Armed Services Lead Republican Mike Rogers (AL-03) 

Rep. Andy Barr (KY-06) 

Rep. Ken Buck (CO-04)

Rep. Tim Burchett (TN-02)

Rep. Steve Chabot (OH-01)

Rep. Scott Fitzgerald (WI-05)

Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01)

Rep. Mike Gallagher (WI-08)

Rep. Mark Green (TN-07)

Rep. Ronny Jackson (TX-13)

Rep. John Joyce (PA-13)

Rep. Young Kim (CA-39)

Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11)

Rep. Dan Meuser (PA-09)

Rep. María Elvira Salazar (FL-27)

Rep. Greg Steube (FL-17)

Rep. Chris Stewart (UT-02)

Rep. Ann Wagner (MO-02)

Rep. Michael Waltz (FL-06)

Rep. Joe Wilson (SC-02)

“The fact that the Biden Administration has still refused to commit to keeping Huawei on the Department of Commerce’s Entity List is incredibly alarming and dangerous. There have been repeated, bipartisan calls to keep Huawei on the Entity List in the past, with Members on both sides of the aisle referring to the company as a national security threat. We urge those Senators who have a history of calling for Huawei to remain on the Entity List to stick to their principles and place a hold on Ms. Raimondo’s confirmation until the Biden Administration clarifies their intentions for Huawei and on export control policies for a country that is carrying out genocide and threatening our national security.”

Bipartisan Calls to Keep Huawei on Entity List

Senator Schumer on Twitter: “Huawei is one of few potent levers we have to make China play fair on trade. This will dramatically undercut our ability to change China’s unfair trade practices.”

Senator Wyden in Nikkei Asia: “I’m all for getting China to address its theft of U.S. tech, but letting a national security threat like Huawei off the hook sends China exactly the wrong message.”

Senator Cruz in a hearing: “There’s chatter in Washington that the Biden administration is contemplating going easy on China and removing companies from the entities list. I certainly hope that does not happen because I think that would be profoundly contrary to the national security interest of the United States.”

Senator Klobuchar on Face the Nation: “I don’t think we should be doing business with them [Huawei] right now … this is a major security risk for America.”

Senator Romney in a press release: “China poses a critical threat to our national security, intellectual property, and technology, and it is vital that Huawei does not continue have access to our critical telecommunications infrastructure.”

Senator Rubio in a press release: “Adding Huawei to the Commerce Department’s banned Entity List was one of the most important moves by the Trump Administration in America’s long-term strategic competition with the totalitarian Chinese government and Communist Party.”

Senator Warner in Nikkei Asia: “…but we need to remember that Huawei represents a threat to national security.”

Senator Barrasso in Nikkei Asia: “I think Huawei is a threat to the national security of America.”

Senator Collins in a press release: “I am pleased that the final NDAA includes our amendment, which would continue to prevent Huawei Technologies from doing business with U.S. companies until Congress receives concrete assurances that it is no longer a threat to U.S. infrastructure or engaged in intellectual property theft.”

 

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