House Republicans are pressing ahead with a Wednesday floor vote on legislation that would ban TikTok in the United States unless it part ways with its Chinese parent company, even as former President Donald Trump has signaled some uneasiness over the legislation.
House Energy and Commerce Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers expressed confidence the measure would pass and downplayed the presumptive Republican presidential nominee’s opposition, noting he previously supported the idea of cracking down on the app.
“This is in alignment with what Donald Trump attempted to do when he was president. And he recognized that TikTok was a national security threat, and we are proceeding, because that threat continues today,” she said. “I’m just encouraging him to look at the bill.”
Still, there’s been a behind-the-scenes effort by bill supporters to launch a counter-campaign in response to TikTok’s lobbying blitz against the legislation. That includes scheduling a classified briefing for all House members at 1 p.m. Tuesday about the app’s potential national security threat.
McMorris Rodgers also gave a briefing on the bill during a House GOP whip meeting on Monday night, though leadership is not formally whipping the bill, which will come up under suspension of the rules – an expedited process that requires a two-thirds majority for passage.
“Members have an opportunity to get this classified briefing from Department of Justice and other intelligence agencies around what they see as the threat of apps that are owned by foreign adversaries,” said McMorris Rodgers. “We’re working very hard to answer questions and continue to build support.”
GOP Rep. Morgan Griffith of Virginia, an Energy and Commerce member, added: “If people take advantage of (the briefings),…
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