Republican and Democratic lawmakers on Tuesday urged the Trump administration to prevent US citizens and businesses from supporting Chinese and Russian civilian intelligence and security agencies, Reuters reported.
Lawmakers Warn of ‘Glaring Loopholes’
Democratic Senator Ron Wyden and Republican Senator John Cornyn made the demand in a letter to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, warning that existing rules leave “glaring loopholes” that could undermine US national security and foreign policy interests.
Congress passed a law in 2018 prohibiting Americans from providing support to foreign military intelligence agencies, but it did not cover similar civilian-led organisations. Rules to strengthen those restrictions under a 2022 congressional measure have yet to be finalised.
“Foreign intelligence agencies in many countries can still legally hire consultants in the United States and buy advanced U.S. surveillance, cyber, and artificial intelligence technology,” the senators wrote, warning that such tools could be used to target Americans and undermine US national security interests.
The issue gained wider attention after Reuters reported in 2019 that the United Arab Emirates had hired more than a dozen former US intelligence operatives to hack dissidents, journalists and Americans.
The Commerce Department, along with the Russian and Chinese embassies in Washington, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Bipartisan Pressure On Trump Over China
The lawmakers’ letter comes as bipartisan pressure mounts on the Trump administration to adopt a tougher stance towards China ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s planned visit to Washington next month.
Republican Congressman John Moolenaar, who chairs the House Select Committee on China, earlier this month urged the administration to ensure advanced logic chips do not reach Chinese firms considered untrusted.
The Trump administration’s decision earlier this year to allow Nvidia to sell advanced artificial intelligence chips to China has also faced criticism from lawmakers in both parties.
Democratic Senator Peter Welch, Republican Congressmen Michael McCaul and Pat Harrigan, and Democratic Congresswoman Sara Jacobs also signed the letter.
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