A rare bipartisan agreement has formed in Washington around the social media app TikTok. The app’s parent company, ByteDance, is headquartered in Beijing and is subject to Chinese law that requires companies to make their users’ data available to the Chinese Communist Party.
In a 352-65 vote last month that included 197 Republicans and 155 Democrats, the House passed a bill to give TikTok a choice: Either break from ByteDance or cease to operate in the U.S.
President Joe Biden says he will sign the bill if it lands on his desk, so that just leaves the Senate.
“I’m hopeful that the Senate will act swiftly,” Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., says. “I believe that it is important that they do address this immediate threat and get this on the president’s desk. This legislation is our best chance to end the Chinese Communist Party’s abuse of these apps that are targeting, surveilling, and manipulating Americans.”
McMorris Rodgers, who also serves as chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, joins “The Daily Signal Podcast” to explain where the TikTok bill stands and why the app poses a national security threat.
The congresswoman also explains why Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is in China this week.
Listen to the podcast below:
