Congressman A. Donald McEachin (VA-04) spoke on the House floor in support of the bipartisan Senate amendment to the NDAA that will restore penalties against ZTE, the Chinese telecom corporation that poses a clear threat to our security.
Excerpts from Congressman McEachin’s remarks delivered on the House floor:
“Mr. Speaker, ZTE, the Chinese telecom corporation, poses a clear threat to our security. The Pentagon has banned the sale of ZTE devices on U.S. bases, saying they ‘may pose an unacceptable risk to [the] Department’s personnel, information and mission.’ Similarly, there is no dispute that ZTE violated sanctions designed to pressure Iran and North Korea. In April, the Department of Commerce instituted appropriate penalties. Now, for transparently political reasons, President Trump has reversed those penalties—giving ZTE a new lease on life. As elected officials, one of our most basic responsibilities is to keep Americans safe. In granting ZTE an undeserved reprieve, the president did the opposite.
“Last week, the Senate approved a bipartisan NDAA amendment to restore the penalties President Trump revoked. I am pleased by their success, and I will strongly support efforts to maintain that language in the coming NDAA conference. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to do the same. Politics needs to stop at the water’s edge. Congress can and must do what the president will not.”
Link to full video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=41c-P6UaJvY&t=10s
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