A bipartisan group of lawmakers left behind National Security Briefing on TikTok The Senate expressed “deep concern” on Wednesday as it awaits consideration of a House-passed bill to force social media apps out of China.
“There was a packed hearing room at the classified meeting, and there was deep concern on both sides of the aisle about the threat of TikTok,” said Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas).
“The threat posed is grave,” he stressed.
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Sens. Ted Cruz and Mark Warner expressed concerns after a national security briefing regarding TikTok. (Getty Images)
The press conference comes after the House of Representatives recently passed a bipartisan bill that would require TikTok to be sold to a non-Chinese company or banned in the United States.
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“It was a very powerful meeting,” said Sen. Mark Warner (D-Virginia), chairman of the Intelligence Committee. He also said he wanted to declassify much of the material for senators to review.
“When this brief was presented to the Energy and Commerce Committee by the House side, I think there was a reason why they then voted 50 to no to advance the bill,” he added. Ta.
Sen. Ted Cruz votes at the U.S. Capitol on December 5, 2023. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc, via Getty Images)
TikTok CEO Shou Chew has been meeting with senators on Capitol Hill in recent weeks to urge them not to support the bill. Warner told Fox News Digital last week that he was not concerned about his colleagues meeting with Thieu but wanted the senator to receive the necessary national security briefing as well.
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“The reality is that there are organizations that have the potential to access and manipulate so much personal data on a platform that many young people turn to as their biggest news source. It’s a security concern,” he said. Wednesday.
Chairman Mark Warner speaks during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on March 8, 2023, at the Capitol. (AP Photo/Amanda Andrade Rose)
As for how quickly he expects the House bill to pass the Senate, Warner said, “I don’t have a very clear idea.”
Cruz, ranking member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, stressed the importance of the TikTok bill, urging Chairwoman Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) to “quickly” move forward with the TikTok bill’s price increase schedule.
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TikTok CEO Shou Chew has been meeting with senators on Capitol Hill in recent weeks to urge them not to support the bill. (St. Petersburg)
The bill was referred to a committee last week rather than being rushed to a vote in the Senate.
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Cruz explained his preference for the bill’s trajectory through the committee, saying, “There’s still a lot of room for debate about the exact language of this bill. Both members have amendments and ideas on how to change the language. I may have some suggestions.”
Cantwell’s Commerce Commission office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital regarding the status of the price increase schedule.
