Following the January introduction by Representative Mike Conaway (R-TX) of the “Defending U.S. Government Communications Act,” Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Tom Cotten (R-AR) have introduced a companion bill in the Senate. The legislation which would prohibit the federal government from purchasing or leasing telecommunications equipment and/or services from Huawei or ZTE, industry-leading companies based in China.
“Chinese telecom companies, like Huawei, are directly linked to the Chinese government and communist party,” stated Rubio. Cotton’s statement adds “There are plenty of other companies that can meet our technology needs, and we shouldn’t make it any easier for China to spy on us.”