March 24, 2023

House Committee on Energy and Commerce hear from Tik Tok CEO

Yesterday, Tik Tok CEO Shou Chew testified under oath before Congress for the first time in a House Energy & Commerce Committee hearing. I had the opportunity to directly question Chew about the major national and personal data security concerns I have with his app.

During the hearing, I got CEO to admit under oath that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) can manipulate the content on TikTok. This means the CCP controls what information is being shared with the 150,000 Americans who use the app.

From a national security standpoint, I have incredible concerns with the CCP moderating information to promote their social or political agenda to nearly half of the population of the United States.

Thankfully, there was a bipartisan consensus in our committee that TikTok is a major security threat, and we are working together to safeguard American data and protect our children from harm online.

Click here or below to watch my full line of questioning of the TikTok CEO:

Enes Kanter Freedom is a professional basketball player and human rights advocate who has put his life on the line to speak out against worldwide human rights atrocities. During the hearing, I brought up TikTok's permanent ban of Enes Freedom's account that was taken down after he posted videos exposing human rights violations being committed by the CCP. Immediately after I brought up Enes’ account to the CEO, TikTok restored it.

It was a shocking example of how closely the hearing was being monitored and how TikTok can exploit its harmful content moderation policy.

Enes and I made a video breaking down the situation. Watch it here.

Parents Bill of Rights

Today, the House passed H.R. 5, the Parents Bill of Rights, of which I was a proud co-sponsor. The Parents Bill of Rights enshrines five basic rights that every parent will have when their kids are in school:

1. Right to know what’s being taught in schools and to see reading material

2. Right to be heard

3. Right to see school budget and spending

4. Right to protect their child’s privacy

5. Right to be updated on any violent activity at school

Read more about the Parents Bill of Rights and House Republicans' efforts to ensure parents have a say in their children's education below:

Biden is Propping up Woke ESG Movement with American Savings Accounts

On Monday, President Biden issued his first VETO against a bipartisan bill that Congress passed. He is choosing to allow 401(k) investment managers to investing in so-called Environmental, Social, and corporate Governance (ESG) without their employee's consent.

The President is propping up the radical ESG movement with the savings accounts of millions of Americans. Financing companies that promote a far-left agenda, such as environmental extremism, employee training based on Critical Race Theory, and more without the consent of employees is wrong.

The consequences will be dire as financial companies will make business decisions based on a social and political agenda instead of the best interests of their shareholders and clients.

National Agriculture Day

This week we celebrated National Agriculture Day honoring American farmers, ranchers, and the many individuals who work tirelessly towards feeding, clothing, and powering our nation. The agricultural industry is the cornerstone of many communities in TX-11 and the foundation of life as we know it.

To the many producers and families of producers of TX-11 and around the country, thank you for your hard work and dedication to the stewardship of our land—today and every day.

This awesome photo was taken by our intern Karlee Busher at Busher Ranch Company in Winters, TX. What a great shot. Thank you, Karlee!

Upcoming Town Halls

Save the date! I will soon be holding more Town Hall meetings across the district. I hope to see you there.

The People's House is Open

Earlier this week, Midland College Government professor Dr. Terry Gilmour brought an excellent group of Midland College Honors College students up to D.C. for an educational experience in our nation's capital.

It is wonderful to see these students with big dreams already involved and making a difference.

Thanks to the new Republican majority in the House of Representatives, the U.S. Capitol is back OPEN for tours! I would love to see you in Washington—book a tour on my website here.

Thank you for reading. It is the honor of my lifetime to serve you in Congress. Please follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for daily updates.

Rep. August Pfluger

Member of Congress