WASHINGTON— U.S. Senators Mitt Romney (R-UT), Marco Rubio (R-FL), and Susan Collins (R-ME) today welcomed the inclusion of legislation in the annual defense authorization bill that would ensure that Huawei is not removed from the entities list until it no longer poses a threat to national security. The final version of the FY2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) reflects provisions from the Huawei Prohibition Act of 2019, introduced by Romney, Rubio, and Collins that Huawei Technologies, Co. Ltd. is not removed from the Commerce Department’s Entity List of sanctioned companies until the Secretary of Commerce certifies that the company no longer poses a national security threat. The senators had urged the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee to include the legislation in the final NDAA.
“I appreciate the efforts of conferees and our colleagues, including Senator Cotton, who helped push for these provisions that will protect our national security,” Senator Romney said. “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. I look forward to seeing the defense bill, which also authorizes other policy and programs critical to our national security, passed and signed into law soon.”
“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 Rubio said. “I welcome the inclusion of language in the FY2020 NDAA to restrict the ability to remove Huawei and its affiliates from the Entity List unless the Commerce Department can certify to Congress that certain criteria are met. Huawei is a malign Chinese state-directed telecommunications company that poses a clear and growing threat to the economic and national security of the U.S. and our allies.”
“Products manufactured by Huawei Technologies pose a serious national security threat,” Senator Collins said. “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.”