DeSantis sends soldiers, aircraft to ‘protect’ Florida from illegal immigrant boats amid Haiti unrest
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced on Wednesday that he is sending over 250 additional soldiers and officers, as well as aircraft and boats, to “protect” the state from vessels carrying illegal immigrants from Haiti – as gang violence has brought additional turmoil to the Caribbean nation. The development comes amid ongoing unrest in Haiti, where the country’s powerful gangs have burned police stations, attacked the main airport and raided two of the country’s biggest prisons in the capital of Port-au-Prince. Prime Minister Ariel Henry announced Tuesday that he will resign once a traditional presidential council is created, bowing to international pressure to do so. RON DESANTIS SAYS HE STEPPED IN TO ENSURE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT, ACCUSED RAPIST IS BACK IN ICE CUSTODY But any unrest in Haiti raises the possibility that even more displaced Haitians may attempt to reach the U.S., including by boat. DeSantis, in a statement, said the Sunshine State has been dedicating “significant resources” to stopping illegal vessels coming to Florida. “Given the circumstances in Haiti, I have directed the Division of Emergency Management, the Florida State Guard, and state law enforcement agencies to deploy over 250 additional officers and soldiers and over a dozen air and sea craft to the southern coast of Florida to protect our state,” he said. “No state has done more to supplement the (under-resourced) U.S. Coast Guard’s interdiction efforts; we cannot have illegal aliens coming to Florida,” he said. The deployment includes 48 additional National Guardsmen with four additional helicopters, 39 officers from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, 30 additional Florida Highway Patrol officers with aircraft and drones, and 23 additional officers from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission with eight additional seacraft, according to DeSantis’ office. HAITIAN PRIME MINISTER ARIEL HENRY TO RESIGN AMID LOW-SCALE CIVIL WAR, BOWING TO INTERNATIONAL PRESSURE A surge of Haitian migration came via the U.S. southern land border in 2021, leading to significant numbers sheltering under a bridge in Del Rio, Texas. That, in turn, led to an encounter with Border Patrol, in which agents were falsely accused of “whipping” migrants. Haitians are also eligible for a controversial parole program that allows up to 30,000 nationals from Haiti, as well as Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua, to fly into the U.S. each month. Meanwhile, the U.S. deployed a Marine anti-terrorist unit to protect the American embassy in Haiti. The U.S. Southern Command said in a statement early Wednesday that at the request of the State Department, it deployed a “U.S. Marine Fleet-Anti-terrorism Security Team (FAST) to maintain strong security capabilities at the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti and conduct relief in place for our current Marines, a common and routine practice worldwide.” “The U.S. Embassy remains open, and limited operations continue, focused on assistance to U.S. citizens and supporting Haitian-led efforts to secure a peaceful transition of power,” it added. Rebecca Zimmerman, assistant secretary of defense for Homeland Defense and Hemispheric Affairs, was asked by Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., what is being done to prepare for any potential wave of migrants from Haiti. Fox News Digital reached out to the Department of Homeland Security on any preparations it might be taking. “At the moment, we have not yet seen large numbers, what we would characterize as maritime mass migration,” Zimmerman told Gaetz. “We are alert to that possibility. I think you’re right that the driving conditions in Haiti could very well press more people. We recently approved some additional assistance we could provide to the Coast Guard.” Fox News’ Greg Norman, Danielle Wallace and Lawrence Richard contributed to this report.
Fox News Politics: TikTok chopping block
Welcome to Fox News’ Politics newsletter with the latest political news from Washington D.C. and updates from the 2024 campaign trail. What’s happening? -Hunter Biden refuses to attend House hearing -Trump secures the 2024 Republican nomination -CNN forced to correct story over Sen. Katie Britt The House of Representatives has passed a bill that could pave the way for TikTok to be banned in U.S. app stores. The measure passed 352-65, with one abstention. Both Democrats and Republicans supported the measure, which advanced out of committee in a unanimous 50-0 bipartisan vote. It’s a rare show of bipartisan unity in a heavily fractured political environment. The bill, led by House China select committee Chair Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., and ranking member Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., would block TikTok in the U.S. if its parent company, Bytedance, does not divest from it within 165 days of passage. It would also require it to be bought by a country that is not a U.S. adversary. Opponents of the bill — mostly Democrats — raised concerns over free speech issues. Some Republicans objected to the proposal saying it expanded government control over business, and could be abused. ‘INAPPROPRIATE REMARKS’: Former top Biden aide confirms WH official’s alleged history of bullying, sexual harassment …Read more DEFUNDING UNRWA: White House preparing in case Congress makes block on UN agency permanent …Read more ‘APPALLING’: ‘Squad’ congressman’s ‘reprehensible’ stance on Farrakhan mural sparks call for resignation …Read more ‘COMMONSENSE’ BILL: Senate Republicans introduce Laken Riley Act, urge swift consideration …Read more ‘SIGNIFICANT THREATS’: Republicans launch oversight of Chinese threat to US farm industry …Read more READY FOR BATTLE: Vance bill would review US defense readiness amid Ukraine funding …Read more HUNTER OUT: Hunter Biden refuses to attend House hearing with former business associates …Read more CHINESE MILITARY: Stefanik rips Obama AG Lynch over links to Chinese military company …Read more 2020 REMATCH: Trump goes over the top, clinching 2024 Republican presidential nomination …Read more BATTLEGROUND STATE: Potential 2024 swing state leans toward Trump in new poll …Read more CHINESE LAND: Lawmakers to propose greater oversight of Chinese land acquisitions in America …Read more ‘TRYING TO SILENCE’: CNN forced to correct story after accusations of ‘smear’ campaign against Katie Britt …Read more ‘IMMEDIATE ATTENTION’: More than 25 AGs urge Senate to pass of the Laken Riley Act …Read more LIGHT DISMISSAL: Judge dismisses some counts against Trump in Fani Willis election interference case …Read more ACCEPTED: Judge approves Trump’s $92M bond in NY defamation case …Read more ‘WON’T ENDORSE NONSENSE’: Arkansas drops ‘X’ from driver’s licenses and IDs …Read more Subscribe now to get Fox News Politics newsletter in your inbox. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
Dem Sen. Warnock calls Laken Riley Act ‘smoke and mirrors,’ by people who aren’t ‘serious’
Democratic Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock called the Republican-led Laken Riley Act “smoke and mirrors” on Tuesday, accusing lawmakers of failing to do anything substantive to address the crisis at the southern border. The legislation, which was passed in the House, would require the Department of Homeland Security to take illegal immigrants into custody if they have been charged with theft-related crimes. Warnock appeared on MSNBC’s “The ReidOut” with host Joy Reid on Tuesday when he was asked about what the legislation would do to address crime. REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN INTRODUCES ‘LAKEN RILEY ACT’ “Let me, first of all, just say that my heart goes out to this young woman’s family. Laken Riley did not deserve what happened to her,” he said. “To answer your question succinctly, this is smoke and mirrors by people who are not serious.” “We had a bipartisan piece of legislation in front of us. It had a lot of provisions, some provisions that some folks on my side didn’t like,” he added. “But the only way to get comprehensive immigration reform, the only way to address the current crisis on the border in divided government, is on a bipartisan basis.” Riley, 22, a nursing student, was killed in February on the campus of the University of Georgia. Jose Antonio Ibarra, the illegal immigrant from Venezuela charged with the killing, was arrested in New York prior to the murder, but was not detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Republicans have tried to pressure the Biden administration to get behind the bill introduced by Rep. Mike Collins, R- Ga. Twenty-six attorneys general across the U.S. penned a letter to Senate leadership on Wednesday urging the passage of the Laken Riley Act. Warnock previously criticized Republicans, saying they were trying to “score cheap political” points in connection to Riley’s death after her name was wrongfully invoked by President Biden during last week’s State of the Union address. “Rather than demagoguing this tragic death by this young woman, they ought to get serious,” Warnock told Reid. “And let’s pass some bipartisan legislation and deal with the crisis at the border.”
Biden temporarily blocked from diverting border barrier funds
A judge’s ruling is the latest development in an ongoing border enforcement battle between Texas and the president.
Political novice Brandon Gill seeks to be Trump’s biggest advocate in Congress
Rookie candidate Brandon Gill won the Texas GOP primary to succeed longtime U.S. Rep. Michael Burgess. But some Republicans spent big money to keep him away.
PA Gov. Shapiro proposes plan to make power plants pay for greenhouse gases
Gov. Josh Shapiro unveiled a plan to fight climate change Wednesday, saying he will back legislation to make power plant owners in Pennsylvania pay for their planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions and require utilities in the nation’s third-biggest power-producer to buy more electricity from renewable sources. Such legislation would make Pennsylvania the first major fossil fuel-producing state to adopt a carbon-pricing program. However, it is likely to draw fierce opposition from business interests wary of paying more for power and will face long odds in a Legislature that is protective of the state’s natural gas industry. Shapiro’s proposal comes as environmentalists are pressuring him to do more to fight climate change in the nation’s No. 2 gas state and as the state’s highest court considers a challenge to his predecessor’s plan to adopt a carbon-pricing program. It also comes after many of the state’s biggest power polluters, coal-fired plants, have shut down or converted to gas. PA GOV. SHAPIRO TO PRESENT BUDGET PROPOSAL FOCUSING ON EDUCATION AND ECONOMIC GROWTH At a news conference in Scranton, Shapiro said his plan would boost investment in clean energy sources, create jobs, improve electricity reliability, cut greenhouse gas emissions and lower electricity bills. Under Shapiro’s plan, Pennsylvania would create its own standalone carbon-pricing program, with most of the money paid by polluting power plants — 70% — going to lower consumer electric bills. No one will pay more for electricity and many will pay less, Shapiro said. IN 2024, PA GOV. SHAPIRO WILL FACE DEMANDING SCHOOL FUNDING CHALLENGES, PREPARE FOR PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION Meanwhile, utilities would be required to buy 50% of their electricity from mostly carbon-free sources by 2035, up from the state’s current requirement of 18%. Currently, about 60% of the state’s electricity comes from natural gas-fired power plants. For the time being, a state court has blocked former Gov. Tom Wolf’s regulation that authorizes Pennsylvania to join the multistate Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, which imposes a price and declining cap on carbon dioxide emissions from power plants. As a candidate for governor, Shapiro had distanced himself from Wolf’s plan and questioned whether it satisfied criticism that it would hurt the state’s energy industry, drive up electric prices and do little to curtail greenhouse gases.
Third-party group No Labels inches closer to launching 2024 ‘unity’ ticket amid talks with GOP’s Geoff Duncan
No Labels on Thursday is expected to take another step toward forming a bipartisan presidential ticket in November’s general election. That’s when the centrist group is scheduled to announce the selection process for how a potential candidate will be chosen. The developments come as No Labels is in discussions with former Republican Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan of Georgia to possibly lead their so-called “unity” ticket, sources confirm to Fox News. No Labels announced Friday that the roughly 800 delegates who took part in a virtual meeting voted to give a thumbs up to fielding a presidential ticket. HOW NO LABELS IS MOVING TOWARDS LAUNCHING A THIRD-PARTY PRESIDENTIAL TICKET “They voted near unanimously to continue our 2024 project and to move immediately to identify candidates to serve on the Unity presidential ticket,” No Labels national convention chair Mike Rawlings said in a statement. The meeting was closed to media coverage. No Labels chief strategist Ryan Clancy said following the vote that “we will announce our formal selection process next Thursday, March 14, with more details to come shortly thereafter.” The move will likely lead to the naming of candidates in the coming weeks. “Now that No Labels’ delegates have given the go ahead for us to accelerate our candidate search for a Unity ticket, voters will read plenty of speculation about who would be on it. But No Labels has not yet chosen a ticket and any names floating around are being put out there by someone else,” Clancy emphasized last week. NO LABELS CHARGES OPPONENTS ARE TRYING TO KEEP IT OFF THE BALLOT For over a year, No Labels has mulled a third-party ticket, as it pointed to poll after poll suggesting that many Americans were anything but enthused about a 2024 election rematch between President Biden and former President Trump. And No Labels had long said that it would decide whether to launch a presidential ticket following Super Tuesday, when 16 states from coast to coast held nominating primaries and caucuses. Friday’s No Labels vote took place three days after Super Tuesday. And this week, Biden and Trump each won enough delegates in Tuesday’s primaries to officially clinch the Democratic and Republican nominations, becoming the two major parties’ presumptive presidential nominees. The moves by No Labels come after former two-term Republican Gov. Larry Hogan of Maryland, a former leader of the group who was considered a potential contender for the “unity” ticket, recently took his name out of contention as he announced a run this year for an open Senate seat in his home state. REMATCH: TRUMP, BIDEN, CLINCH GOP AND DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATIONS And moderate Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, another former No Labels leader who is not seeking re-election this year and who flirted with a White House run, has also said he won’t launch a presidential bid. There was also plenty of speculation that former U.N. ambassador and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who was the final 2024 GOP presidential nomination rival to Trump before she ended her White House run last week, would consider running on a No Labels ticket. No Labels had expressed interest in her earlier this year. But Haley repeatedly nixed joining a No Labels ticket, most recently last week in an interview on “Fox and Friends.” “What I will tell you is I’m a conservative Republican. I have said many, many times, I would not run as an independent. I would not run as No Labels, because I am a Republican, and that’s who I’ve always been,” Haley reiterated. The No Labels spotlight now appears to be shining on Duncan, a former health care executive and minor league baseball player who served three terms in the Georgia House of Representatives before winning election as lieutenant governor in 2018. People familiar with the discussions confirmed to Fox News that No Labels “is talking to him,” adding that conversations are “moving fast” and “nothing’s set.” A source in Duncan’s political orbit said he hasn’t ruled anything out when it comes to a potential third-party presidential run this year. The news was first reported by the Wall Street Journal. Duncan grabbed national attention in the weeks after the 2020 election for speaking out against then-President Trump’s unfounded claims of “massive voter fraud” in Georgia, which was one of a half-dozen states where Biden narrowly edged Trump to win the White House. Duncan, along with Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, both Republicans, resisted Trump’s requests to overturn the election results in the Peach State. But Duncan’s public pushback in national interviews against Trump led to threats against him and his wife, which necessitated protection by state troopers, he said in 2021. Duncan decided months later against seeking re-election in 2022 and instead launched “GOP 2.0,” an effort to try and move the Republican Party past Trump. No Labels said last week that it is already on the ballot in 16 states and currently working in 17 other states to obtain access. There’s been a chorus of calls from Democrats warning that a No Labels ticket would pave a path to victory for Trump in November, but the group dismisses that criticism. “That’s not our goal here,” Lieberman told Fox News Digital late last year. “We’re not about electing either President Trump or President Biden.” Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
GOP report contradicts Jan. 6 committee’s witness alleging Trump tried to grab SUV steering wheel
House Republicans released a report this week they say undermines claims made by a former Trump aide that former President Trump tried to take control of a Secret Service vehicle on Jan. 6, 2021. Georgia Republican Rep. Barry Loudermilk, chair of the oversight subcommittee of the House Administration Committee, released an 81-page report Monday, which investigated “the security failures of January 6th which House Democrats failed to investigate in the 117th Congress.” “THE SELECT COMMITTEE WAS DESIGNED TO PROMOTE A POLITICAL NARRATIVE – Pelosi made the unprecedented decision to refuse to appoint minority members chosen by the minority to the Select Committee. They hired Hollywood producers to assist with their primetime hearings. They refused to adopt rules, allowing them to operate without limits, to project their predetermined narrative to the world,” the report’s initial findings detail. Within the report’s findings, the oversight subcommittee reported that unreleased testimony from four former White House employees who were present for Trump’s Jan. 6, 2021, speech contradicts claims by former Trump aide Cassidy Hutchinson. HOUSE GOP REPORT ALLEGES JAN 6 COMMITTEE ‘DELETED RECORDS AND HID EVIDENCE’ “Reps. Thompson and Cheney promoted Cassidy Hutchinson‘s sensational revised testimony and hid witness testimony from White House and Secret Service employees with firsthand knowledge that directly contradicted Hutchinson‘s version of events. Hutchinson conducted three transcribed interviews with the Select Committee before substantially revising her story in her fourth transcribed interview. Despite knowing how significantly her testimony changed, the Select Committee promoted it as fact,” the report detailed, adding that Hutchinson was promoted as a “star witness.” JAN 6 COMMITTEE ALLEGEDLY SUPPRESSED TESTIMONY SHOWING TRUMP ADMIN PUSHED FOR NATIONAL GUARD PRESENCE: REPORT Hutchinson, who worked as an aide to Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, had claimed before the select committee that on Jan. 6, 2021, she was told Trump allegedly became “irate” and attempted to join supporters at the Capitol ahead of them breaching the government building. The incident reportedly unfolded after Trump delivered a speech at the Ellipse, which is a park just south of the White House fence. “The president said something to the effect of, ‘I’m the effing president, take me up to the Capitol now,’” she recounted to the committee in 2022 of what she was told. She alleged she was told Trump attempted to grab the steering wheel of a Secret Service SUV before the driver reportedly told Trump to remove his hand and that they were headed to the White House, not the Capitol. LIZ CHENEY CALLS SPEAKER JOHNSON ‘DANGEROUS’ FOR HELPING TRUMP ‘UNDERMINE OUR REPUBLIC’ Loudermilk’s report, however, found that Hutchinson’s testimony was “directly refuted” by Anthony Ornato, who served as White House deputy chief of staff for pperations under Trump after decades in the Secret Service. “In Ornato’s November 29, 2022, transcribed interview, he directly refuted Hutchinson’s testimony that she allegedly heard the story about what happened in the Beast. Ornato testified that the first time he had ever heard the story Hutchinson claims Ornato told her on January 6, was during Hutchinson’s public testimony,” the report details. Hutchinson had told the committee that she heard the anecdote from Ornato. A Secret Service agent who was driving the SUV also refuted the anecdote, according to the report. The report stated that the driver of the SUV on Jan. 6 testified that Trump “never grabbed the steering wheel.” “The driver testified that he specifically refuted the version of events as recounted by Hutchinson. The driver of the SUV testified that he ‘did not see him reach [redacted]. [President Trump] never grabbed the steering wheel. I didn’t see him, you know, lunge to try to get into the front seat at all.’” Loudermilk’s report determined that the Jan. 6 committee “hid the driver’s full testimony and only favorably mentioned his testimony in its Final Report, it did not release the full transcript.” The Jan. 6 committee was founded in July 2021 to investigate the breach of the U.S. Capitol earlier that year by supporters of Trump ahead of President Biden officially taking office on Jan. 20. The Jan. 6 committee’s investigation was carried out when Democrats held control of the House. The committee concluded its 18-month investigation last year, when Republicans regained control of the House, and sent referrals to the Justice Department recommending Trump be criminally prosecuted for his involvement in the lead-up to supporters breaching the Capitol. The committee’s former chair, Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., and vice chair, Republican now-former Rep. Liz Cheney, both slammed Loudermilk’s 81-page report on social media soon after it was published. In addition to alleging Hutchinson’s testimony was debunked, the report argued the Jan. 6 committee “deleted” records and hired “Hollywood producers” to promote a political narrative. LIZ CHENEY CALLS SPEAKER JOHNSON ‘DANGEROUS’ FOR HELPING TRUMP ‘UNDERMINE OUR REPUBLIC’ “Loudermilk is merely trying to deflect from Donald Trump’s responsibility for the violence of January 6th and his own refusal to answer the Select Committee’s questions,” Thompson’s statement said, adding that the report is “dishonest.” “If your response to Trump’s assault on our democracy is to lie & cover up what he did, attack the brave men & women who came forward with the truth, and defend the criminals who violently assaulted the Capitol, you need to rethink whose side you’re on. Hint: It’s not America’s,” Cheney tweeted Tuesday. Hutchinson’s attorney, William H. Jordan, wrote a letter to Loudermilk earlier this year defending Hutchinson as an honest witness who “courageously stepped forward” to speak with the committee. “Let me be clear: since Ms. Hutchinson changed counsel, she has and will continue to tell the truth. While other individuals – often men who occupied more senior roles – would not speak with the Select Committee, Ms. Hutchinson and many other witnesses courageously stepped forward. Yet she now finds herself being questioned by you and your Subcommittee regarding her testimony and on matters that may also be the subject of ongoing criminal proceedings against Mr. Trump,” the letter reads. LIZ CHENEY ADDRESSES CRITICISM OF HER
Pentagon alerted to potential ‘maritime mass migration’ from Haiti amid Caribbean nation’s spiraling conflict
The Department of Defense has been alerted to a potential “maritime mass migration” from Haiti that poses security concerns for South Florida amid the Caribbean nation’s turmoil. Rebecca Zimmerman, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Hemispheric Affairs, testified regarding mass Haitian migration concerns when asked by Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., during a House Armed Services Committee hearing on Tuesday to discuss the U.S. military posture and national security challenges in North and South America. “What’s the difference between Haiti and a failed state?” Gaetz asked Zimmerman during his line of questioning. “We can’t really identify because the gangs are in charge, the government has been thrown out, and, as a Florida man, I’m deeply concerned about this wave of people that we are about to have, that we are having coming from Haiti, and it will accelerate.” From his time in Opa-locka, Florida, spent with members of Operation Vigilant Sentry, an interagency task force established in the early 2000s to track maritime migration trends, Gaetz said he learned the Haitians who so far have arrived in Broward County and Palm Beach County — “where they don’t disperse throughout the country, they stay in southeast Florida” — had been driven by “the deteriorating condition in Haiti,” signaling that the worsening situation on the ground in the Caribbean nation could prompt more of a surge to the Sunshine State. CONGRESSMAN EVACUATES 10 AMERICANS FROM CRIME-RAVAGED HAITI, SLAMS BIDEN FOR ‘PATTERN OF ABANDONMENT’ “So what are we doing to prepare for that wave and to ensure that these people are not paroled into the United States as the administration has done with people on the southern border, but instead are repatriated at the dock back at Port-au-Prince?” Gaetz asked. “At the moment, we have not yet seen large numbers, what we would characterize as maritime mass migration,” Zimmerman said. “We are alert to that possibility. I think you’re right that the driving conditions in Haiti could very well press more people. We recently approved some additional assistance we could provide to the Coast Guard.” Gaetz said the Coast Guard expressed to him a need for more naval vessels as Department of Defense support in anticipation of mass migration. US DEPLOYS MARINE ANTI-TERRORISM UNIT TO HAITI TO PROTECT EMBASSY Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., who serves on the Homeland Security and Armed Services committees, as well as the new Select Committee on China, reacted to the concerns in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Six U.S. embassies have been evacuated under Joe Biden’s disastrous foreign policy, with Haiti’s being the latest. Over 10 million people have crossed the border illegally over the past four years. Now, we have yet another migrant crisis at our doorstep due to this Administration’s lack of a strategic vision for our hemisphere,” Giménez said. “Miami-Dade County boasts one of the largest Haitian-American communities in the nation. Our residents want concrete actions and a Haitian-led solution to this humanitarian crisis that restores democracy, safety, and security to the island. These criminal gangs that are terrorizing the Haitian people must be stopped at all costs.” At a press conference on Monday, Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Fla., who is Haitian-American, warned of a potential security risk if the U.S. fails to act, Politico reported. Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry on Tuesday announced he would resign, bowing to international pressure to save his homeland gripped by violence and controlled by heavily armed gangsters under the leadership of the notorious Jimmy “Barbecue” Chérizier. The announcement came hours after officials, including Caribbean leaders and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, met in Jamaica to discuss a solution to halt Haiti’s spiraling crisis and agreed to a joint proposal to establish a transitional council. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
50 Democrats, 15 Republicans vote ‘no’ on bill aimed at blocking TikTok
The bill aimed at forcing Chinese-owned company Bytedance to divest from social media app TikTok has passed the House with overwhelming support. Led by House China select committee Chair Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., and ranking member Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., the bill sailed through the House with a 352-65 bipartisan vote. The Democratic Party was more split over the proposed legislation than Republicans, and only one member of the House abstained from the vote. DEFYING TRUMP, HOUSE GOP PLANS TO FORGE AHEAD WITH TIKTOK BILL THAT COULD BAN APP If signed into law, the bill would block TikTok in the U.S. if its parent company, Bytedance, does not divest from it within 165 days of passage. It would also require it to be bought by a country that is not a U.S. adversary Only 15 Republicans voted against the bill, joined by 50 Democrats. An additional 14 members did not cast a vote on the proposed legislation. Republican representatives who voted against the legislation include Andy Biggs, Arizona; Dan Bishop, North Carolina; Warren Davidson, Ohio; John S. Duarte, California; Matt Gaetz, Florida; Marjorie Taylor Greene, Georgia; Clay Higgins, Louisiana; Nancy Mace, South Carolina; Thomas Massie, Kentucky; Tom McClintock, California; Alexander X. Mooney, West Virginia; Barry Moore, Alabama; Scott Perry, Pennsylvania; David Schweikert, Arizona; and W. Gregory Steube, Florida. KEVIN O’LEARY OFFERS TO BUY TIKTOK AND TURN IT INTO A ‘NEW AMERICAN COMPANY’ IF PROPOSED BAN ADVANCES Democratic representatives who voted against the legislation include: Suzanne Bonamici, Oregon; Jamaal Bowman, New York; Brendan F. Boyle, Pennsylvania; Cori Bush, Missouri; Greg Casar, Texas; Joaquin Castro, Texas; Katherine M. Clark, Massachusetts; James E. Clyburn, South Carolina; Adriano Espaillat, New York; Maxwell Frost, Florida; Ruben Gallego, Arizona; Jesús G. “Chuy” García, Illinois; Robert Garcia, California; Jimmy Gomez, California; Jahana Hayes, Connecticut; James A. Himes, Connecticut; Steven Horsford, Nevada; Val T. Hoyle, Oregon; Jonathan L. Jackson, Illinois; Sheila Jackson Lee, Texas; Sara Jacobs, California; Pramila Jayapal, Washington; Sydney Kamlager-Dove, California; Ro Khanna, California; Rick Larsen, Washington; John B. Larson, Connecticut; Barbara Lee, California; Summer L. Lee, Pennsylvania; Zoe Lofgren, California; Morgan McGarvey, Kentucky; James P. McGovern, Massachusetts; Gregory W. Meeks, New York; Grace Meng, New York; Gwen Moore, Wisconsin; Kevin Mullin, California; Jerrold Nadler, New York; Richard E. Neal, Massachusetts; Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, New York; Ilhan Omar, Minnesota; Dean Phillips, Minnesota; Mark Pocan, Wisconsin; Katie Porter, California; Ayanna Pressley, Massachusetts; Delia C. Ramirez, Illinois; Janice D. Schakowsky, Illinois; Eric Swalwell, California; Norma J. Torres, California; Juan Vargas, California; Nydia M. Velázquez, New York; and Nikema Williams, Georgia. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, was the only “present” vote. TikTok’s critics have long warned that the social media app poses a national security threat. Lawmakers have cited concerns about the Chinese government’s ability to leverage its power over Bytedance to access sensitive user data – even in the U.S. – something the company has denied. China hawks have also warned that the app’s popularity among young Americans gives the ruling Chinese Communist Party a platform for a mass influence campaign. At the same time, lawmakers who are wary of the push to curb TikTok have cited First Amendment concerns and potential harm to small businesses who rely on it. It’s not immediately clear if the Senate will take up the legislation. Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.