House Passes Another TikTok National Security Bill With 414-0 Vote
The House on Wednesday unanimously approved TikTok-related legislation that would ban data brokers from transferring “sensitive” U.S. information to “foreign adversaries” such as China. Meanwhile, the Senate Commerce Committee and the Senate Intelligence Committee are planning a joint hearing about their legislative options.
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The lower chamber voted 414-0 for the Protecting Americans’ Data from Foreign Adversaries Act (HR-7520), which the House Commerce Committee approved 50-0 (see 2403070066). The bill’s passage follows a 352-65 House vote on a bill that could lead to a U.S. ban on the Chinese-owned social media app (see 2403130039).
Senate Commerce and Senate Intelligence members attended a classified briefing Wednesday on the national security threats posed by TikTok owner ByteDance and its link to China's government. The Senate’s objective is stopping foreign actors from harming Americans by using their social media data, Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., told reporters Wednesday. “We’re going to do that,” she said, adding, "We’re not going to take forever to do it.”
Asked about suggestions that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., bring the bills directly to the floor, Cantwell said the chamber wants to get it right and the House legislation can be improved. “Donald Trump thought it was urgent, too, and he shot and missed,” she said, referring to federal judges blocking then-President Trump’s executive order ending U.S. transactions with TikTok. “It’s important to get it right.”
The Senate wants to move “soon,” but members and the public need more “education” on the topic, said Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Mark Warner, D-Va. He and Cantwell confirmed the two committees are discussing a potential joint public hearing.
The House legislation is a “good bill with potential modifications to make it more practical, achievable,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. Blumenthal called for declassifying information shared at Wednesday’s briefing, so the public has a better understanding. There’s “no reason to keep it secret,” he said. “TikTok is a gun aimed at Americans’ heads.”
TikTok is a “loaded weapon” the Chinese government wields, Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., told reporters. “We need to act now,” he added. “Chuck Schumer should bring it up immediately, so we can pass a good bill.” Schumer’s office didn’t comment.
“The Senate needs to act,” said Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii. “I am no longer undecided. I think we have to go through with this, whether that’s the House version, or we have to conference like grownups.” Schatz said he’s “satisfied” that TikTok is a “real national security concern” and “not a cooked up one.”
However, Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., conceded it’s likely the Senate would not act until after the chamber’s March 25-April 5 break, given budget negotiations.
Schumer should take the TikTok divestment bill to the floor without committee consideration, said Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo. “Pass the House bill,” he said. “If my colleagues want to make changes, let’s put it on the floor, and let’s have an open amendment process.” Committee deliberation is a good way to “kill” the bill, he said. “That’ll kill it. Everybody knows that.”
House sponsors want to respect the Senate process, House Strategic Competition Committee ranking member Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., told us Wednesday. “Leader Schumer has a process, and we’re trying to respect that,” said Krishnamoorthi, lead Democrat on the House divestment bill. “They are looking at the bill closely, and I feel cautiously optimistic about what’s happening over there.” Cantwell said she was scheduled to meet with the lead Republican sponsor, House Strategic Competition Committee Chairman Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., on Thursday.
Academic studies show the difference in trends of hashtags on TikTok and Instagram, said Senate Commerce Committee ranking member Ted Cruz, R-Texas. Hashtags like #FreeTibet and #TiananmenSquare trend much more frequently on Instagram, he said: “There is no benign explanation for that. The only explanation for that is the Chinese Communist Party is deliberately suppressing messages.” The Commerce Committee should mark up the legislation with an open amendment process, he added.
Cantwell on Wednesday issued a statement in support of HR-7520: “Data brokers’ sale of Americans’ most sensitive information to our foreign adversaries is wrong and damages our national security. I’m encouraged by this bipartisan effort" from House Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., and ranking member Frank Pallone, D-N.J., "to protect Americans’ personal data -- especially that of our servicemembers -- from being exploited by foreign adversaries.”