Members of the US Senate Urge Parliament to Support the Proposal to Ban the Use of Chips Made in China, for the sake of National Security

US Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer. (photo: Twitter @SenSchumer)

JAKARTA - The Democratic leader in the US Senate urged lawmakers on Monday, November 28 to support his proposal to ban the US government from doing business with companies that use semiconductors made by manufacturers the Pentagon considers to be Chinese military contractors.

"If American businesses want the federal government to buy their products or services, they shouldn't use the kinds of chips made in China that, because of the Chinese government's complicity, endanger our national security," Senator Chuck Schumer said in remarks as he opened the Senate after the Thanksgiving holiday recess.

"We need our government and our economy to rely on chips made here in America," Schumer added.

Schumer and Republican Senator John Cornyn introduced their proposal as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA. This is a policy setting an annual bill for the Department of Defense that is expected to be passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives in December 2023.

As the only major piece of legislation that Congress passes each year, the NDAA is closely watched by many industries and other interests as it determines everything from purchasing ships and planes to raising salaries for troops and how to deal with geopolitical threats.

Lawmakers are also using the bill as a vehicle for various policy measures. The proposal from Schumer and Cornyn would expand the ban on the government's use of Chinese chips. The 2023 NDAA authorizes more than $800 billion in spending.

"We must remain firm on the Chinese government and its actions," Schumer said, cited from Reuters.