“Rip and Replace” Bill Gets New Momentum in Congress

UPDATE The Justice Department's racketeering and intellectual property theft charges against Huawei last week drew wide support from Congress. Lawmakers of both parties pointed to the company as a symbol of the great threat from China.

The news came amid a new drive for the Senate's anti-Huawei "rip and replace" effort. After two months of blocking it, Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) lifted his hold on Senate passage of House-approved legislation, H.R. 4998 (116). The measure slates $1 billion for small rural U.S. carriers to remove and replace existing gear from Huawei and ZTE. The U.S. sees the gear as a security risk. Senate Commerce Chairman Roger Wicker (R-MS) now expects unanimous-consent passage once Congress returns the week of February 24, reports Politico.  

Huawei executives say the company has no ties to the Chinese government. A spokesman told Politico recently that Huawei's founder, Ren Zhengfei, runs a "purely private enterprise."