The State Department told Congress today that the Commerce Department would have a voice but not a vote in approving the export of American-made satellites.

The Administration would deny the Russians any business by refusing export licenses for American-made satellites, claiming that technical secrets could fall into Russian hands.

The United States has also complained that the Japanese Government, again trying to start a new industry, refuses to buy American-made satellites.

In a bipartisan stampede on a politically explosive issue, the House overwhelmingly voted today to bar the export of American-made commercial satellites to China.

The waiver would allow China to launch American-made satellites without case-by-case Presidential review.

American aerospace companies are pushing the Bush administration to allow China to launch American-made satellites or satellites containing American parts.

The New York Times reported last week that the Chinese military was sending many of its coded messages through American-made commercial satellites sold to Asian companies.

Satellites: Vote on an amendment to the defense bill that would bar the export of American-made satellites and their components to China.

The document said China's Army was making extensive use of the American-made satellites to transmit its coded messages, Administration officials said.

China's military turned to American-made commercial satellites, which had been sold in the early 1990's to Hong Kong companies with ties to the Chinese government and military.