WASHINGTON, D.C.– Chairman Gallagher today released the following statement after the passage of the House National Security Supplemental.

“I am proud that the House took bipartisan action to support our allies in the face of authoritarian aggression from China, Russia, Iran, and Hamas. This package provides critical support to Taiwan, Israel, and Ukraine as they defend the frontlines of the free world and renews the authority to sanction terrorist organizations like Hamas for using human shields. This legislation also defends our interests at home by including my bipartisan legislation to protect Americans against the national security threat posed by Chinese Communist Party control of TikTok. As this overwhelming vote demonstrates, America stands by its friends.”

The bill includes several China-related provisions championed by Chairman Gallagher or related to the work of the Select Committee on the CCP:

  • Provides $1.9 billion for the replenishment of defense articles and services provided to Taiwan, as Gallagher called for alongside Select Committee members in a November letterurging a greater supplemental focus on the Indo-Pacific.
  • Provides $2 billion in Foreign Military Financing to enhance the defense of Indo-Pacific partners like Taiwan. Gallagher has been a leading champion of providing direct financial support to assist Taiwan in strengthening its defensive capabilities, including through the 2022 Arm Taiwan Act.
  • Provides $542 million to address Indo-Pacific Command unfunded requirements.
  • Provides $3.3 billion to enhance the U.S. submarine industrial base in support of AUKUS. Chairman Gallagher has been a leading supporter of AUKUS and the US-Australia bilateral alliance, serving as co-founder of the Friends of Australia Caucus and Co-Chair of the AUKUS Working Group.
  • Provides $133 million to expand defense industrial capacity for artillery and critical munitions.
  • Requires DoD’s annual China Military Power report to provide an assessment of the PRC’s development of critical and emerging technologies, as well as to identify key PRC entities involved in each technology sector.
  • Includes the Fend off Fentanyl Act, which declares international fentanyl trafficking a national emergency and directs the Treasury Department to target, sanction, and block the financial assets of transnational criminal organizations and key members of drug cartels involved in international fentanyl trafficking. The Fend Off Fentanyl Act was a key recommendation in the Select Committee’s bipartisan reporton the PRC’s role in the fentanyl crisis.

It also includes key additional priorities of Chairman Gallagher:

  • Empowers Ukraine to fight and win. Includes $23.2 billion to replenish defense articles and services provided to Ukraine, $11.3 billion to support U.S. military operations in Europe, and $13.8 billion for the procurement of advanced weapons systems, defense articles and defense services, and requires the transfer of the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) to Ukraine.
  • Stands with Israel by providing over $5 billion to support its missile defense requirements, $3.5 billion in Foreign Military Financing to support Israeli defense forces, $1 billion to boost production of artillery and key munitions, and $2.4 billion for American forces operating in the region.
  • Reauthorizes and strengthens Gallagher’s 2018 Sanctioning the Use of Civilians as Defenseless Shields Act, which enhances sanctions enforcement and implementation against terrorist organizations that use innocent civilians as human shields – a despicable practice Hamas terrorists are continuing to use following their October 7th attack on Israel.

See statements from the co-leads of the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act below:

“So long as it is owned by ByteDance and thus required to collaborate with the CCP, TikTok poses critical threats to our national security. Our bipartisan legislation would protect American social media users by driving the divestment of foreign adversary-controlled apps to ensure that Americans are protected from the digital surveillance and influence operations of regimes that could weaponize their personal data against them. Whether it’s Russia or the CCP, this bill ensures the President has the tools he needs to press dangerous apps to divest and defend Americans’ security and privacy against our adversaries,” said Ranking Member Krishnamoorthi.

“TikTok is Communist Chinese malware that is poisoning the minds of our next generation and giving the CCP unfettered access to troves of Americans’ data. I am proud to join Chairman Mike Gallagher in introducing the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act to finally ban TikTok in the United States. From proliferating videos on how to cross our border illegally to supporting Osama Bin Laden’s Letter to America, Communist China is using TikTok as a tool to spread dangerous propaganda that undermines American national security. We cannot allow the CCP to continue to harness this digital weapon,” said Rep. Stefanik.

“In this day and age, we all know about the vast benefits – and vast risks – of our most popular social media platforms. Ensuring that foreign adversaries do not have the ability to control what we see and hear online is an important piece of what should be a bipartisan effort to make social media safer for all Americans. This bill would ensure that Tik Tok is no longer controlled, even indirectly, by the Chinese Communist Party, and does so in a responsible way, that doesn’t take away Americans’ favorite social media apps,” said Rep. Moulton.

“The dangerous link between TikTok and the Chinese Communist Party has never been more apparent. When TikTok’s CEO came before the Energy and Commerce Committee last year, he readily admitted ByteDance employees in China have access to U.S. user data. This alone should serve as a wake-up call and alarm every single American – whether they’re actively engaged on TikTok or not. I’m proud to help lead the bipartisan Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, which will protect Americans from foreign adversaries and relinquish Communist China’s control over TikTok,”said Rep. Latta

“All Americans deserve access to information and media platforms that are free from the influence of hostile foreign actors like the Chinese Communist Party. But here are the facts: TikTok has been used by the CCP to silence free speech and dissent in the United States and abroad, to undermine democracy and our values, and to promote propaganda that is favorable to autocratic rulers like President Xi. In New Jersey, TikTok has banned users for posting content that brought awareness to the CCP’s horrific genocide and forced labor of the Uyghur people. It’s nothing short of dangerous that the CCP controls a key source of information for millions of Americans – including so many teenagers and children who’ve seen their mental health harmed by the app. This bipartisan legislation should be passed immediately to protect our democracy, our national security, and our kids,” said Rep. Sherrill.  

“The House Select Committee on the CCP and the House Energy & Commerce Committee have found alarming proof of our data being shared with our adversaries via applications developed by ByteDance,” said Rep. Dunn. “I even asked the TikTok CEO point blank if ByteDance has spied on Americans on behalf of the CCP, and his response was ‘I don’t think spying is the right way to describe it.’ This is outrageous. I took an oath to protect the American people and I’m proud to join this effort to ban applications that can be utilized and abused by our adversaries.”

“Social media corporations are attention-fracking American youth and corroding our democracy. Congress needs to get tough on them — but we can only do that if these corporations are subject to U.S. law. TikTok needs to answer to Congress, not Xi Jinping,” said Rep. Auchincloss.

“TikTok is owned by the Chinese Communist Party and we cannot allow the CCP to indoctrinate our children. This strong bipartisan legislation is an important step forward in making sure social media apps owned by foreign adversaries are prohibited from doing business in America. I encourage all Americans using TikTok to strongly consider the personal risks of having their data owned by the Chinese Communist Party and hope they will stop using the app as this bipartisan legislation moves forward,” said Rep. Moolenaar.

“Congress can no longer afford to ignore the growing threat posed by foreign adversary-controlled applications like TikTok,” said Rep. Torres. “TikTok not only jeopardizes our national security but also threaten our fundamental freedoms by allowing adversaries to surveil and influence the American public under the guise of a social media platform. The Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act is a crucial step in safeguarding our nation. We must act swiftly and decisively to protect our citizens and preserve our sovereignty.”

“Not only is the CCP-controlled TikTok an immense national security risk to our country, it is also poisoning the minds of our youth every day on a massive scale. China is our enemy, and we need to start acting like it. I am proud to partner with Representatives Gallagher and Krishnamoorthi on this bipartisan bill to ban the distribution of TikTok in the US. This legislation will make our country better off and more secure,” said Rep. Roy.

“The Chinese Communist Party has made it abundantly clear that it is willing to leverage technology to collect data on our children and all US citizens. Using TikTok, China has the ability to control what an entire generation of kids sees and consumes every single day,” said Rep. Gottheimer. “It’s time we fight back against TikTok’s information invasion against America’s families. In the wrong hands, this data is an enormous asset to the Chinese Communist Party — a known adversary — and their malign activities.” 

“Any technology—apps, software, language models—owned by foreign adversaries are unequivocal threats to our national security. We have every right to protect Americans’ constitutional rights, data privacy, and national security, and it’s only become clear over the last several years how dangerous these foreign-owned tech platforms truly are,” said Rep. Cammack. “As a member of the Energy & Commerce Committee which deals heavily in the telecom and tech space, I don’t take this decision lightly. I’m grateful to Chairman Gallagher and the Select Committee on the CCP for spearheading this effort and I look forward to the bipartisan support this effort will garner to keep the U.S. safe from malign influence, adversarial infiltration, espionage, and beyond.”

“TikTok is CCP spyware used by the regime to steal Americans’ data and push harmful propaganda, including content showing migrants how to illegally cross our Southern Border, supporting Hamas terrorists, and whitewashing 9/11. Bottom line: TikTok needs to completely cut ties with the CCP or it will no longer be available in the United States. It is past time to dismantle the CCP’s top propaganda and spyware tool,” said Rep. Hinson.

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Source: U.S. House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)

Author: Office of Chairman Mike Gallagher (R-WI)

Format: Press Release

Link to Original Source