February 5, 2021 5:45 am
WASHINGTON, D.C. (WLNE) – Governor Gina Raimondo’s confirmation as Secretary of Commerce is now facing some opposition. Senator Ted Cruz placed a hold on the confirmation after Raimondo declined to promise specifically to keep certain companies on a U.S. trade blacklist.
Senator Cruz says the Governor has not clarified her position on Huawei, a Chinese telecom company. That company was placed on the Commerce Department’s entities list under the Trump Administration because of espionage concerns over its ties to the Chinese government.
The hold likely delays the floor vote by up to 30 hours. It is the final step in the nomination process and comes just days after the Senate Commerce Committee approved Raimondo’s nomination in a 21-3 vote.