Texas Sen. Ted Cruz has formally placed a hold on Governor Gina Raimondo’s nomination to serve as President Joe Biden’s Secretary of Commerce.
“I’ll lift the hold when the Biden admin commits to keep the massive Chinese Communist Party spy operation Huawei on the Entity List,” the Texas Republican tweeted.
I’ll lift the hold when the Biden admin commits to keep the massive Chinese Communist Party spy operation Huawei on the Entity List. https://t.co/HaY6IhUHpu
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) February 4, 2021
Cruz was among three Senate Republicans who voted against Raimondo’s approval in a Wednesday Senate Commerce Committee vote where Raimondo advanced through the committee in a 21-3 vote.
Gina Raimondo’s ethics issues and soft stance on China including her refusal to commit to keep Huawei on the Entities List is deeply troubling.
That’s why I voted against advancing her nomination and I urge my colleagues to refuse to confirm her.
— Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) February 3, 2021
The Commerce Department under the Trump administration added Huawei, one of the largest 5G equipment manufacturers in the world, to its “entity list,” effectively blacklisting the company over concerns it posed an espionage threat due to ties to the Chinese government.
