Bill Would Give Congress Oversight on Approval of Huawei Export Licenses

Bipartisan members of the Senate and House introduced a bill on July 16 that would prevent the Trump administration from removing Huawei from Commerce’s Entity List without congressional approval. The bill would also give Congress oversight of Huawei-related export licenses granted by Commerce, allowing Congress to issue a “joint resolution of disapproval” to render any export license inactive.

The bill, "Defending America’s 5G Future Act," would require Commerce to notify Congress each time it approves a Huawei-related export license. The House or Senate may then issue a disapproval resolution to reject the license.

The Senate bill was introduced by Sens. Marco Rubio, R-Fla.,Tom Cotton, R-Ark., Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Mark Warner, D-Va., Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Mitt Romney, R-Utah. The House bill was introduced by Reps. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., Jimmy Panetta, D-Calif., Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., and Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz.

“Huawei isn’t a normal business partner for American companies, it’s a front for the Chinese Communist Party,” Cotton said in a statement. “American companies shouldn’t be in the business of selling our enemies the tools they’ll use to spy on Americans.”