A group of senators introduced a bipartisan piece of legislation Tuesday that would limit the Trump administration’s abilities to scale back pressure on the Chinese tech giant Huawei without an act of Congress.
House representatives have introduced equivalent legislation on their side of Congress.
The politicians saw this as absolutely vital to protecting 5G networks. Senator Tom Cotton called Huawei a “front for the Chinese Communist Party,” while Senator Mark Warner argued that the Entity List’s restrictions “shouldn’t be used as a bargaining chip” in a trade war.
The measure might face a tough battle. Although congresspeople on both sides of the aisle support the act, they can’t override a presidential veto unless they secure the support of two thirds of both the House and the Senate. If that doesn’t happen, it’s doubtful that Trump will sign a bill limiting his authority.
This isn’t the first time Congress has tried to shoot down Trump’s attempts to restore trade with Chinese companies. Senators hoped to block the President’s deal with ZTE in 2018, but gave up on the prospect when the counterpart House bill didn’t include language restricting the Chinese firm. This time, though, there’s a broader agreement that reflects the increased concern about Huawei.
