Today, Representative Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09), the Ranking Member of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade, criticized the announcement by the Trump White House that it would seek to allow the U.S.-sanctioned Chinese company ZTE to buy American technology.

“ZTE poses a grave national security threat and harms U.S. jobs and economic growth. We know this because it has already been banned from buying our technology after violating American sanctions. Furthermore, our intelligence agencies believe that if given access to our technologies, ZTE’s close relationship with China’s military and spy outlets could compromise U.S. networks.

“Yet, without even bothering to consult with Congress – where America’s trade authority lies – Trump is now heralding a so-called deal to unilaterally lift penalties on ZTE. This comes just days after we learned that a Chinese company backed by Beijing pumped heavy investment into a Trump-branded amusement park. This President’s corruption casts a shadow over these negotiations. And given the company’s past behavior, allowing ZTE access to our technologies is completely illogical. Trump’s actions are unacceptable and Congress should send this deal to the scrapheap without delay.”