Voting to Protect Americans from the Chinese Communist Party
Do you think it would be appropriate for Communist China to own WECT, WWAY, FoxNews or CNN (as examples)? What if they owned any one of these and broadcasted propaganda designed to harm and influence our youth? TikTok algorithms target our youth and spread all kinds of propaganda designed to encourage support for antisemitic acts, terrorist groups and even encourage our youth to commit suicide. If we wouldn’t tolerate it on broadcast or cable TV, why would we tolerate it on a platform from which the vast majority of our youth get their information?
While this app may seem like an innocent pastime enjoyed by young Americans, it is actually very dangerous. TikTok is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, which is heavily aligned with and controlled the Chinese Communist Party. Even more concerning, ByteDance is required by Chinese law to provide the Chinese government with any and all personal data related to what they deem to be an issue of “national security”, which essentially means the Chinese Communist Party has access to the personal information and viewing habits of every American who uses TikTok.
This week, with my support, the House overwhelmingly passed H.R. 7521, the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act. Contrary to some misinformation, this bill does not ban TikTok. Instead, it requires TikTok to sever ties with its parent company, ByteDance, if they wish to continue operating in the United States. There are already plenty in the U.S. who are lining up to buy it. This action will help protect Americans of all ages, while ensuring our own national security is not compromised.
Aside from data and national security risks, there are additional concerns about TikTok's impact on our children’s mental health. China is continually looking for ways to not only monitor and intercept the data of our citizenry, but to infiltrate the minds of our youth with negative influences. TikTok is a trojan horse being used by Communist China as a weapon to help accomplish their nefarious goals through propaganda designed to target our youth.
During a recent segment of Kudlow on Fox Business, Commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission Brendan Carr, and former Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission under President Trump, Ajit Pai, summed up the commonsense reforms included in the House passed legislation and the serious national security threats posed by TikTok. You should listen closely to what they say about the TikTok algorithm being used to shape American public discourse and pollute the minds of our youth. See the clip here.
As this bill works its way through the legislative process in the Senate, I will continue to support any and all efforts to protect the American people from malign influence and any other act by the Chinese Communist Party to manipulate America.
Relaunching the Congressional Primary Care Caucus
Tens of thousands of families across the country, including many of my constituents in rural Southeastern North Carolina, face a shortage in primary care physicians to address health issues before they become more serious problems. Given the necessity of accessible primary care for all Americans, I recently relaunched the bipartisan Congressional Primary Care Caucus.
The Caucus, which I first launched in 2015, aims to educate Members of Congress and other government and thought leaders on the importance of a comprehensive, continuous, coordinated, and connected primary care system for patients and communities nationwide. To highlight the relaunch the Caucus, I joined my colleagues in hosting a briefing on the state of primary care in America. The briefing featured experts who emphasized the critical role primary care plays in improving health outcomes and reducing preventable healthcare costs. Read more here!
