Ted Cruz: Nominee Gina Raimondo May Not Retain Huawei On Espionage List

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, arrives and speaks to the media before for a Senate Judiciary Comm
AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite
Wendell Husebø

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) said he would vote “no” on President Joe Biden’s nomination of Gov. Gina Raimondo (D-RI) to lead the Department of Commerce.

“When Governor Raimondo came before the Senate Commerce Committee in January, I asked her if she would keep those Chinese technology companies on the Entity List. She refused to commit to that. In fact, she would not even commit to keeping Huawei on the Entity List, which is an espionage agency of the Chinese Communist Party,” the Texas Senator said.

Cruz continued to hammer, “I gave Governor Raimondo a second chance” and “she still refused” to “answer these questions.”

“The fact of the matter is that there has been a rush to embrace the worst elements of the Chinese Communist Party in the Biden administration, and that includes Governor Raimondo,” Cruz bluntly stated.

Cruz questioned, “We’re just about six weeks into the Biden presidency, and the Biden administration has already been keen on lifting the restrictions on Huawei since the first week. Where will we be in six months from now? A year from now?”

“That is why I can’t support her nomination, and I urge my colleagues not to confirm Governor Raimondo to be Secretary of Commerce,” Cruz reaffirmed on the Senate floor.

Raimondo might be best know for joining the list of Democrat politicians in December of 2020 caught violating their own coronavirus recommendations.

Critics lambasted Raimondo after she was spotted in public without a mask dining at a paint and wine bar after urging residents to stay home and avoid nonessential activities during the ongoing Chinese coronavirus pandemic.

Raimondo is also a hard critic of former President Trump, who, she said, was “insane” for sending federal offices to quell protests in Portland.

Raimondo additionally faced criticism over dealings with gaming giant International Game Technology (IGT), the same company that runs the state lottery.

The Rhode Island Republican Party filed a complaint against Raimondo during the summer of 2019 and claimed she violated state ethics by negotiating a 20-year contract extension with IGT to run lottery and casino games. Also cited in the complaint was Raimondo’s relationship with lobbyist and former IGT Chairman Don Sweitzer.

COMMENTS

Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.