Bipartisan Group Of Senators Introduce Bill To Ban Chinese Tech Giant Huawei

A bipartisan group of lawmakers has introduced a bill to block Huawei – a massive Chinese technology company that is controlled by the Chinese government – from accessing the U.S. financial system.

The bill, titled the “NETWORKS Act,” was co-authored by Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) and Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD). Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) co-sponsored the bill.

As explained in a press release from Cotton’s office, the bill would “severely sanction Chinese technology company Huawei and other untrustworthy Chinese 5G producers who engage in economic espionage against the United States. This bill would add these entities to the Treasury Department’s Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) List, which would effectively freeze them from accessing the U.S. financial system.”

“In October, the Department of Justice charged two Chinese intelligence officials for collaborating with Huawei to obstruct the federal government’s investigation of the company. The FBI also recently revealed that Huawei gear was found in cell towers near several U.S. nuclear missile bases and that signals from these towers could interfere with the U.S. nuclear arsenal,” the press release added.

“We’ve made great strides in recent years at home and abroad in combatting Huawei’s malign attempts to dominate 5G and steal Americans’ data,” Cotton said in a statement. “However, the fight is not finished. Huawei is an arm of Chinese intelligence. We cannot allow Huawei and the Chinese Communist Party to have access to Americans’ personal data and our country’s most sensitive defense systems. We must address the dire threat these Chinese companies pose to our national security.”

“Foreign companies that spy on the U.S. and violate our laws should face severe consequences,” Van Hollen added. “Huawei is a repeat offender. This bipartisan bill will bolster our national defenses by further sanctioning Huawei and other similar bad actors seeking to undermine our security.”

The news comes the same week that multiple other pieces of legislation were introduced targeting TikTok, a Chinese-based social media app that has been described by FBI Director Christopher Wray as “extremely” concerning.

A bill introduced by U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) and Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) would ban TikTok’s use in the United States due to its threat to national security.

As explained by Rubio’s office, “TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, is required by Chinese law to make the app’s data available to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). From the FBI Director to FCC Commissioners to cybersecurity experts, everyone has made clear the risk of TikTok being used to spy on Americans.”