Iowa’s 4 US House members vote for TikTok ban
Future of legislation in the Senate is unclear
All four of Iowa’s members of the U.S. House voted in favor of a bill that could result in TikTok being banned from app stores.
The U.S. House passed a bill that presented an ultimatum for the popular social media company to either part ways with its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, or be banned from app stores in the United States.
Did the U.S. House pass the TikTok ban?
The potential ban for TikTok passed the House with a 352-65 vote. Of the opposition, 15 Republicans voted no along with 50 Democrats.
Iowa’s delegation — Republican Reps. Zach Nunn, Mariannette MillerMeeks, Ashley Hinson and Randy Feenstra voted in favor of the bill.
What did Rep. Ashley Hinson say on the TikTok bill?
Rep. Ashley Hinson, a Republican who represents northeast Iowa, co-lead the legislation to force the split between TikTok and ByteDance. TikTok is targeting young girls with eating disorder videos and pushing content that “downplays terrorism on TikTok in the U.S,” Hinson said in a Tweet. Hinson compared TikTok to a Chinese spy balloon in people’s phones and is beholden to the Chinese Communist Party.
Hinson also spoke on the House floor about why TikTok should part with the Chinese company.
“Today we are sending a message to the CCP that we are going to deflate the 140 million spy balloons that they have installed on American phones,” Hinson said Wednesday before the vote.
What did Rep. Randy Feenstra say about the TikTok bill?
The bill will protect national security by preventing China from accessing American’s data, Rep. Randy Feenstra, a Republican representing northwest Iowa, said in a news release supporting the bill.
“As a father of four, I believe that TikTok is a serious threat to our national security, our economy, and the wellbeing of our kids,” Feenstra said in the news release.
“We know that TikTok’s parent company – ByteDance – is largely controlled by the Chinese Communist Party, which directly exposes Americans to Chinese data collection, surveillance, cyberattacks, and propaganda.”
What has Rep. Zach Nunn said about the TikTok ban?
While in the United States Air Force, U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn, who serves the Des Moines area, served as an airborne intelligence officer. Nunn expressed his concern for the impacts of TikTok on younger users.
“As a former counterintelligence officer, I’ve seen firsthand how the Chinese Communist Party exploits data to manipulate our country’s young people,” Nunn said. “Today I voted to enhance our national security by limiting China’s influence on our youth and American minds.”
What has Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks said about the TikTok ban?
The bill targets business conduct not users and is aimed to encourage the sale of TikTok in hopes to protect data from foreign adversaries, Rep. MariannetteMiller-Meeks said in a video on social media.
“We understand the implications for entertainment and even more importantly for our small business owners in Iowa who use the app in order to advertise and reach out to costumers,” MillerMeeks, who represents Iowa City and eastern Iowa, said in the video. “So we are trying to protect people’s privacy and also their content and address a national security issue.”
What happens next with the proposed TikTok ban?
The future of the bill in the Senate is unclear. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, hasn’t said whether he will bring it up for a vote. President Joe Biden said he would sign the legislation if it made it to his desk.
Even if the Senate passes the bill, TikTok would have just shy of six months to sell the app before a ban from app stores and web-hosting services would start.
What has Sen. Joni Ernst said about banning TikTok?
After the House voted Wednesday, U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst posted on social media saying that cutting ties between TikTok and the Chinese Communist Party is overdue.
“Allowing them to operate under China’s authority threatens the security of every American,” Ernst said in the tweet.
What has Sen. Chuck Grassley said about banning TikTok?
U.S Sen. Chuck Grassley told Iowa reporters Wednesday that he thinks Schumer should bring the legislation up for a vote in the Senate and that he is “leaning towards” voting for it.
“I think I’m getting closer to say a firm ‘yes’ to vote for it,” Grassley said.
But he still hopes to have conversations with people in the intelligence community as well as fellow senators who serve on the Intelligence Committee before making a final decision.
“The major problem is that I think anything that’s connected to the Chinese Communist Party must be suspect, and that’s why I’m telling you I’m leaning towards it,” Grassley said. “But I’m going to reserve just a little bit of judgment till I get the briefings that we ought to have before we pass it.”
Grassley said the federal phones senators use prevent them from accessing TikTok, and he has never personally used the app. Grassley is active on other social media platforms like X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.