“To cut it came completely out of the blue,” said Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee. “I think it’s crazy. It’s like a gift to China.” Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) departs a vote at the U.S. Capitol March 13, 2025. | Francis Chung/POLITICO The defunding is a major setback for America’s prolonged effort to root Chinese-made equipment out of the world’s telecommunications backbone. That campaign has reached into the American heartland , caused drama with allies internationally and even led to global intrigue when Huawei’s chief financial officer was arrested, extradited to the U.S., and…