Democrat majority leader Chuck Schumer urged lawmakers to back a bill which would prevent the US government from doing any business with any firm the Pentagon identified as a Chinese military contractor.

He said, “If American business wants the federal government to buy their products or services, they shouldn’t be using the kind of Chinese-made chips that, because of Chinese government involvement, put our national security at risk. We need our government and our economy to rely on chips made right here in America.”

Schumer teamed up with Republican Senator John Cornyn to introduce the proposed amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, the yearly bill which sets policy for the Department of Defense. It is expected it will be passed and sent on to the White House in December.

The NDAA is closely watched by a massive swath of industry and interest groups every year, as it lays out Pentagon policy directives which govern everything from the purchase of military equipment, to pay increases for the armed forces personnel, to national security concerns which must be addressed.

The 2023 NDAA as written will authorize over $800 billion in new spending.

The Schumer-Cornyn Amendment will enhance the protections already present in an existing ban on the US government’s use of Chinese chips and electronic devices.

Schumer added, “We need to stay tough on the Chinese government and its actions.”