House Republicans Tie BIS Budget Boost to Tougher Export Controls

Three days after Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo suggested her Bureau of Industry and Security needs more funding to handle a surge in export licensing requests (see 2312040041), three key House Republicans said on Dec. 5 that BIS must strengthen its export controls before they will support a budget increase for the agency.

“Any conversation about additional resources must be matched with actions that demonstrate BIS is being reformed into a true national security agency that will do what needs to be done to counter China and other adversaries,” according to an statement from Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee; Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., chairman of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party; and Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., chairwoman of the House Republican Conference.

In September, 10 House Republicans, including McCaul and Gallagher, demanded tougher export controls against Huawei and Semiconductor Manufacturing International Company (SMIC) after Huawei unveiled a new smartphone that may have been made through means that violated U.S. export restrictions (see 2309150020).

Raimondo made her plea for more funding at a national security conference on Dec. 2 in California.