The US Congress is looking to stop the White House from softening the ban on ZTE. The House Appropriations Committee unanimously accepted an amendment to an appropriations bill that would prevent the Commerce Department from renegotiation of the sanctions, according to Representative Dutch Ruppersberger, who authored the amendment.
The amendment will be included in the Fiscal Year 2019 Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations Bill when it comes under consideration by the full House of Representatives next month. The vote follows comments from President Donald Trump that he hoped to work with the Chinese government to limit the impact on ZTE and jobs at the company.
Ruppersberger said he has "long suspected ZTE is used by the Chinese government to spy on Americans through the cell phone components they manufacture". He traveled to Hong Kong and interviewed ZTE executives in 2012 before co-authoring a report on the threat, when he was a member of the House Intelligence Committee.
Another member of the House, Bennie G. Thompson, who sites on the Committee on Homeland Security, introduced a resolution calling for the Department of Homeland Security to provide the Committee with any information it has on the cybersecurity threats posed by ZTE. The information would help Congress oversee any action taken by the White House in handling the potential threats posed by ZTE and its products, Thompson said, adding "The President’s cavalier approach to handling this serious national security matter should be concerning to all."
Earlier this week the House's Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology held a hearing on 'Telecommunications, Global Competitiveness, and National Security'. A number of experts testified on the potential threat to US security in its telecoms networks and related equipment. The rural telecom operator association CCA cautioned against taking action too quickly, as this could impact the industry's ability to deliver services. The group said a "thorough review is necessary to better evaluate the severity of the problem and current threats to ensure appropriate solutions are in place, with minimal impact to consumers."
