House Appropriations Includes Amendment in FY 2019 Spending Bill Barring DOC Change to ZTE Sanctions

The House Appropriations Committee unanimously approved an amendment Thursday to its FY 2019 Commerce, Justice and Science appropriations bill that would bar the Department of Commerce from renegotiating its recent set of sanctions against Chinese telecom giant ZTE. The amendment, offered by Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger, D-Md., follows days of Capitol Hill criticism of President Donald Trump for a Sunday tweet saying the administration is working with the Chinese government to keep ZTE in business. Secretary Wilbur Ross said the Commerce Department is looking at alternative punishments but officials are resisting attempts to connect the ZTE ban with ongoing trade negotiations with China (see 1805140062, 1805150068 and 1805160061). “Supporting this amendment will show that the U.S. government stands behind the sanctions that it enacts, and will enforce them,” Ruppersberger said . “It also further prevents foreign companies beholden to their governments from further infiltrating our U.S. networks.” The underlying Commerce appropriations bill includes the Trump administration's request for more than $33 million to NTIA, down from the $36 million requested in FY 2018 and largely on par with its continuing appropriations for the year (see 1802120037).