BREAKING Senate Blocks Trump's Effort to Revive ZTE

The Senate has just voted 85-10 to block the Trump administration from lifting the “death penalty”   imposed on ZTE, a Chinese cell phone giant.

 The amendment to the defense spending bill forces the Commerce Department to reverse its reprieve on penalties imposed on ZTE for violating U.S. sanctions aimed at isolating Iran and North Korea, then lying about it. It also bans government agencies from buying or leasing equipment from ZTE and another major Chinese firm, Huawei.

Commerce banned ZTE from buying American parts--including Qualcomm computer chips--that it depends on to manufacture its products. President Donald Trump ordered the Commerce Department to revisit the issue following talks with Chinese President Xi Jingping. “Too many jobs in China lost,” Trump tweeted.

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross announced a deal to keep ZTE in business June 7, calling it a component of Trump’s trade negotiations with China.

-RW  

UPDATE

Rand Paul, supporting the free market position, was heroically one of the ten "NAY" votes.

The other "NAY" votes came from the left, including Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and Diane Feinstein.