Top Republican Presses Trump Admin
Calls Microsoft’s use of China-based engineers a dangerous national security threat
Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) is demanding Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth take immediate action to protect America’s military networks by banning all non-U.S. citizens from accessing Department of Defense (DoD) computer systems.
In a letter sent Wednesday, Cotton praised Hegseth for blocking Chinese engineers from Pentagon systems but warned that any continued foreign access is a grave risk to U.S. national security.
Cotton stressed that individuals who are not U.S. citizens should never be granted access to Defense Department systems, even if they are working under the oversight of an American. He added that the department has the power to implement this change at once and urged immediate action.
China Connection Sparks Urgent Security Concerns
Cotton’s warning follows a ProPublica investigation revealing that Microsoft, a Pentagon contractor, used engineers in China to maintain U.S. military systems — with minimal oversight from American personnel.
Hegseth publicly agreed with Cotton’s concerns, writing on X:
“Foreign engineers — from any country, including of course China — should NEVER be allowed to maintain or access DoD systems.”
Legislation to Lock in National Security Safeguards
Cotton plans to insert language into the annual defense authorization bill to permanently prohibit foreign nationals from accessing Pentagon systems, ensuring no future administration can reverse the policy.
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) also pressed the Pentagon over the Microsoft contract, demanding answers on how the department will eliminate cybersecurity vulnerabilities.
Pentagon Orders Immediate Review
Following the investigation, Hegseth announced that China will no longer have any involvement in U.S. cloud services, effective immediately, and ordered a two-week review to ensure no other foreign access exists across Pentagon networks.
Cotton has requested a Pentagon briefing by Sept. 5 detailing any weaknesses in the DoD’s cloud contracts and what steps have been taken to close those gaps.
Why This Matters
Cotton — a longtime China hawk — has repeatedly warned that Beijing’s infiltration of U.S. defense systems could compromise America’s military readiness. His latest push aims to seal off every possible entry point for foreign espionage.
As tensions with China continue to rise, this battle over Pentagon cybersecurity could become a defining national security fight in the months ahead.
