On a recent Sunday, Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.), who leads the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, expressed strong disapproval of the lobbying efforts against a bill that might lead to a TikTok ban. He found it particularly distasteful that former Congress members were involved in these efforts.
Gallagher criticized the extensive lobbying campaign by TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, during an interview on CBS News’s “Face the Nation.” He highlighted the significant amount of money spent on lobbying firms and condemned the involvement of former Congress members, suggesting such actions should be prohibited.
The House recently voted 352-65 in favor of a bill requiring ByteDance to sell TikTok within 165 days or face a ban in the U.S. The bill’s future in the Senate remains uncertain.
Supporters of the bill argue that it addresses national security concerns related to ByteDance’s potential to share American users’ data with the Chinese government. They worry about the influence the Chinese government could have on the content and political views of TikTok users.
Despite a strong lobbying effort, including the involvement of former Congress members, the bill passed with bipartisan support. However, it faced opposition from both sides, including former President Trump, who was concerned about the potential benefits to Facebook, a rival social media platform.
Trump’s stance came after a meeting with Jeff Yass, a major GOP donor and TikTok investor, who reportedly did not discuss TikTok during their conversation.
TikTok has been actively encouraging its users to contact their Congress members to oppose the bill.
Nevertheless, Gallagher remains hopeful about the bill’s passage, citing his collaborative efforts with Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), the top Democrat on the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party. Their bipartisan work led to the bill’s significant support in the House.
Gallagher believes that the overwhelming House vote and bipartisan cooperation demonstrate the importance of Congress taking action to provide a legislative solution, avoiding the uncertainty of executive orders from different administrations.