Congress’ appetite grows for restricting Chinese tech firms doing business in U.S.

A groundswell of support is growing in Congress for a crackdown on Chinese tech companies operating in the U.S., with TikTok a top target. 

The Senate advanced legislation to bar TikTok from government devices this week, while a bipartisan House bill would ban the China-linked social media platform across the U.S. 

Several obstacles remain before new federal restrictions hit TikTok’s operation in the U.S., but efforts to clamp down on China-linked tech have new momentum ahead of the next Congress that convenes in January. 

The Senate passed the “No TikTok on Government Devices Act” by unanimous consent. The proposal was authored by GOP Sens. Josh Hawley of Missouri, Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Marco Rubio of Florida, and Rick Scott of Florida. 

“TikTok is a Trojan horse for the Chinese Communist Party,” Mr. Hawley said. “It’s a major security risk to the United States, and until it is forced to sever ties with China completely, it has no place on government devices.” 

A similar proposal from Republican senators also passed the Senate in 2020, but stalled in the Democrat-run House. Since then, some Democrats have rethought the federal government’s approach to TikTok.

Changing attitudes among Democrats helped spark new momentum for legislative solutions to the problems that lawmakers see with TikTok.  

Sen. Mark Warner, a Virginia Democrat who leads the Senate Intelligence Committee, recently expressed regret about not taking action against TikTok sooner. He said former President Trump was correct about the threat posed by TikTok. 

Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, Illinois Democrat, teamed with Rep. Mike Gallagher, Wisconsin Republican, this week to propose legislation blocking all transactions with TikTok and other social media companies under China’s influence. Mr. Rubio introduced companion legislation in the Senate. 

“It is imperative that we do not allow hostile powers to potentially control social media networks that could be easily weaponized against us,” Mr. Krishnamoorthi said.

TikTok spokesperson Brooke Oberwetter said banning TikTok from government devices “does nothing to advance U.S. national security interests.”

It’s not just TikTok in Congress’ bipartisan crosshairs, however. Huawei and Chinese 5G technology producers are the target of new legislation from Senate Democratic leader Charles E. Schumer of New York, Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland and their GOP colleagues, Mr. Cotton and Mr. Scott.

The bill aims to “severely sanction” Huawei and other Chinese tech companies allegedly engaged in economic espionage against the U.S., according to Mr. Cotton’s office. Mr. Gallagher introduced companion legislation in the House. 

“Foreign companies that spy on the U.S. and violate our laws should face severe consequences,” Mr. Van Hollen said. “Huawei is a repeat offender. This bipartisan bill will bolster our national defenses by further sanctioning Huawei and other similar bad actors seeking to undermine our security.”

While lawmakers are looking to tighten the grip on Chinese tech companies, the Biden administration is planning to remove some Chinese entities from a red flag trade list, according to Reuters. The move means U.S. exporters would reportedly not need to conduct heightened reviews before sending products to the Chinese entities. 

The Biden administration has also not completed its examination of TikTok for national security concerns that were first raised by its predecessors in the Trump administration. 

States are not waiting for the Biden administration to act. New Hampshire imposed new restrictions on Thursday barring TikTok from state government devices, joining Maryland, South Carolina and Texas in implementing similar rules.