House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) will not commit to putting legislation to a vote that was passed by unanimous consent in the Senate to ban the Chinese social media app TikTok from U.S. government devices amid national security risks.
Amid warnings about the Chinese social media app from Democrats and Republicans, including the Biden administration, Pelosi said on Thursday that she has not yet decided if she would bring to a vote the Senate’s newly passed legislation to ban TikTok on any U.S. government-owned devices.
“We’re checking with the administration – just in terms of language – not in terms of being opposed to the idea,” Pelosi told reporters the day following the Senate’s vote. “I don’t know that that will be on the agenda next week, but it’s very, very important.”
For the legislation to become law, the House would need to pass the Senate’s bill before the end of the congressional session, which is expected to be next week. After passing through Congress, it would then go to President Joe Biden’s desk, where he can sign it into law.
On Wednesday, Senate passed Sen. Josh Hawley’s (R-MO) No TikTok on Government Devices Act by unanimous consent.
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) speaks during a Senate Homeland Security Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Spending Oversight on Capitol Hill August 3, 2022, in Washington, DC. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
The legislation would ultimately ban the Chinese social media app or any of its successors or services developed or provided by ByteDance Limited and any entities from the company. The only exception in the bill was for any “law enforcement activities, national security interests and activities, and security researchers” as long as they “develop and document risk mitigation actions for such use.”
The companion bill to Hawley’s legislation was introduced in the House last year by Rep. Ken Buck, but it was yet to be approved by the members of the House Oversight Committee, which needs to happen before it goes to the floor.
In recent months, there has been a push from Democrat and Republican public officials to take and/or call for action against the Chinese social media app over concerns that it could surveil Americans.
On the state level, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) said on Thursday the Peach State would be joining other states, such as Iowa, South Dakota, South Carolina, Texas, and others, in banning the Chinese social media app from state devices amid concerns that data could be passed on to the Chinese government,
A Rasmussen Reports survey released last week found that most voters believe the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could use the app to “collect sensitive national security information from U.S. government employees.” A majority also supported having federal legislation to ban TikTok from the U.S.
Jacob Bliss is a reporter for Breitbart News. Write to him at jbliss@breitbart.com or follow him on Twitter @JacobMBliss.
Biden accused of 'towing the line of treason' with this
CUT AND PASTE YOUTUBE LINKS
The city of Austin, Texas, might be liberal, but it has yet to become
the fecal-infested drug den that is San Francisco. Tesla CEO Elon
Musk hopes it stays that way.
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2021/10/31/elon-musk-warns-austin-texas-avoid-becoming-san-francisco-copycat/
Why Most Californians Aren't Happy with the State | Victor Davis Hanson
Migrant enclaves already are at the top of the U.S. lists for bad places to - 10 of the 50 worst places in America to live according to this list are in California, and all of them are famous for their illegal populations. MONICA SHOWALTER
THIS IS WHAT DEMS HAVE DONE TO S.F.
Jesse Watters Primetime
WHAT HAPPENED TO SAN FRANCISCO?!?!?!?! WILL IT SPREAD ALL OVER AMERICA??? HASN'T IT ALREADY?
The lunatics are running the asylum in California: Harmeet Dhillon
CUT AND PASTE YOUTUBE LINKS
San Francisco locals react to rampant shoplifting, break-ins | Fox News Digital Original
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BU6o2MIuMQc&t=110s
EXCLUSIVE: Two San Francisco Prosecutors Quit, Join Effort to Recall City's DA'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqTfK2pRXs0
The Root Cause of People Leaving California | Joel Kotkin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3viy5DISO7M
California Has the Highest State Taxes, What's Next | Joel Fox
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwIBKCMJL0w
THEY RUN FOR ELECTIVE OFFICE TO SUCK BRIBES,
INFLUENCE PEDDLE SIPHONED THROUGH FAMILY
MEMBERS AND RAKE IN THE LOOT FROM INSIDE TRADING
. NO ONE IN AMERICAN HISTORY OTHER THAN SEN.
DIANNE FEINSTEIN, THE CLINTONS, THE OBOMBS, AND
THE BIDEN CRIME FAMILY HAVE PULLED IN THESE
AMOUNTS OF DIRTY MONEY..... YOU WONDERED WHY THE
COUNTRY IS IN SUCH A FUKING MESS? THEY'RE BUSY
DOING OTHER THINGS!
Joe Biden has made it abundantly clear that he is unprincipled, untrustworthy, and unscrupulous. His faux presidency will be remembered as one of the darkest periods of American history. We can only hope that the damage he leaves behind him will not be completely irreversible. ROBERT SPENCER
THE BIDEN KLEPTOCRACY
IN OPERATION FOR OVER A HALF CENTURY!
American people deserve to know what China was up to with Joe Biden, especially when Beijing had already shelled out millions of dollars to Biden family members — including millions in set-asides for “the big guy.” What else is on that infamous Hunter Biden laptop? The conflicted Biden Justice Department cannot be trusted to engage in any meaningful oversight on this issue. We need a special counsel now.
TOM FITTON - JUDICIAL WATCH
Breitbart Political Editor Emma-Jo Morris’s investigative work at the New York Post on the Hunter Biden “laptop from hell” also captured international headlines when she, along with Miranda Devine, revealed that Joe Biden was intimately involved in Hunter’s businesses, appearing to even have a 10 percent stake in a company the scion formed with officials at the highest levels of the Chinese Communist Party.
HOW MANY OF THESE CULPRITS ARE GAMER LAWYERS?
“Protect and enrich.” This is a perfect encapsulation of the Clinton Foundation (TWO GAMER LAWYERS) and the Obama (TWO GAMER LAWYERS) book and television deals. Then there is the Biden family (THREE GAMER LAWYERS) corruption, followed closely behind by similar abuses of power and office by the Warren (GAMER LAWYER) and Sanders families, as Peter Schweizer described in his recent book “Profiles in Corruption.” These names just scratch the surface of government corruption (ADD GAMER LAWYER KAMALA HARRIS AND HER LAWYER HUSBAND AND THE BANKSTERS’ RENT BOY, LAWYER CHUCK SCHUMER). BRIAN C JOONDEPH
HOW DID NANCY PELOSI GET SO FILTHY RICH OFF ELECTED OFFICE? FEINSTEIN? KAMALA HARRIS?
How Do Politicians Keep Getting So Rich?
Migrant enclaves already are at the top of the U.S. lists for bad places to - 10 of the 50 worst places in America to live according to this list are in California, and all of them are famous for their illegal populations. MONICA SHOWALTER
Try the reality that illegal immigrants are routinely given free public housing by the U.S., based on the fact that they are uneducated, unskilled, and largely unemployable. Those are the criteria, and now importing poverty has never been easier. Shockingly, this comes as millions of poor Americans are out in the cold awaiting that housing that the original law was intended to help.
Thus, the tent cities, and by coincidence, the worst of these emerging shantytowns are in blue sanctuary cities loaded with illegal immigrants - Orange County, San Francisco, San Diego, Seattle, New York...Is there a connection? At a minimum, it's worth looking at. MONICA SHOWALTER
Nancy Pelosi: ‘As Speaker of the House, I Have Awesome Power’
(Screen Capture)
(CNSNews.com) - House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D.-Calif.) reflected during her last speaker’s press conference on Thursday on how much power she has enjoyed in that position.
“As Speaker of the House, I have awesome power,” said Pelosi.
“Now transitioning to a different role, I expect to have strong influence, but not on my Members, just in terms of encouraging more women, for example, to run,” she said.
“But the Speaker of the House is a very big job, and just wrapping it up will take time, with the Library of Congress for the papers, with the Historian of the Capitol–of the Congress–in terms of interviews and the rest of that,” said Pelosi.
Here is a transcript of how Pelosi responded when asked about how she will approach her “new role in the House:”
Reporter: “Speaker of the House twice. This is a major transition moment–to now move into a different role in the House your family has long been connected to.
“Could you offer us some thoughts about how you will approach your new role in the House in the new year, both on policy and on your role with the Democratic Party? How do you see 2023 for Congresswoman Pelosi?”
Speaker Pelosi: “Well, we could have a whole seminar on that, but we won't because we're waiting to hear from the Senate.
“Here's the thing. As Speaker of the House, I have awesome power.
“As a – now transitioning to a different role, I expect to have strong influence, but not on my Members, just in terms of encouraging more women, for example, to run, to talk about civics and how we have to – it used to be a requirement when I was little, a hundred years ago, but now it's an elective and most people are not familiar. So I'll have to see what that path is.
“But the Speaker of the House is a very big job, and just wrapping it up will take time, with the Library of Congress for the papers, with the Historian of the Capitol – of the Congress – in terms of interviews and the rest of that.
“And in just – I think that probably the most overwhelming thing I'll be doing forever is saying thank you. Thank you to my Members. Thank you to the intellectual resources that have helped us with policy. Thank you for those who have helped us politically to attain our Majorities and our strength in the Congress.
“I think my life will be about accountability to the record, the history, and thank you to those who made all of that possible.
“You mentioned John F. Kennedy. I'll close with this. You've heard me say it many times. I'll say it now again, because it identified with what President Biden has been doing.
“When I was in school, I went to President Kennedy's Inauguration on the East Front, freezing cold, freezing cold. The whole world, every child in America knows that, in that speech, he said to the citizens of America: ‘Ask not what our country can do for you, but what you can do for our country.’ You've said it. I see you all mouthing it.
“The very next sentence is what struck me, the very next sentence.
“‘To the citizens of the world, ask not what America can do for you, but what we can do working together for the freedom of mankind.’
“That's what President Kennedy said. Not condescension, not doing something for, but working together.
“And I've said this to President Biden, and I said it at the Saint Patrick's Day lunch, because that's a, you know, Kennedy connection there. I said to President Biden, ‘You have fulfilled in so many ways what President Kennedy was signaling, working together with all of the countries to come together to support Ukraine, not by dictating what we think is the way to go, but to listening, working together, so that everybody felt committed to a plan for the freedom of mankind.’
“And that's how I tie being there as my father's daughter at the Inauguration to what happened this week and what our responsibilities are later.
“But I – my goal and my wish is that the Members, our new Leadership in the House, based on the foundation that we have laid or forming their own approach, will do even better than the significant legislative successes that I have had as Speaker of the House.
“Thank you all. Happy holidays. Merry Christmas. Happy Kwanzaa. Happy Hanukkah. Whatever you celebrate, enjoy your families.”
Biden accused of 'towing the line of treason' with this
Sanctuary California should be a cautionary tale, not a goal
By Dale Wilcox
From the moment Joe Biden assumed the presidency, immigration has been at the top of his agenda. One of his first acts was to sign a series of executive orders that reversed the Trump administration's policies on things like border wall funding, travel bans, and sanctuary laws.
While Trump's goal for immigration policy was clearly articulated in his "Make America Great Again" concept, we have heard little on where Biden intends to take us with his immigration plank. Judging from his actions so far, though, the destination is clear. He wants to make America into California, and that should deeply concern every U.S. citizen.
What anti-borders politicians have done to California over the last 30 years is a disgrace. The home of Hollywood and Silicon Valley, once a beacon of opportunity and prosperity, is today a sinking ship. Immigration policy is a significant factor in that decline.
Taking on a massive population of illegal aliens has come at a colossal cost to Californians, in terms of finances, safety, and job opportunities, to name a few. State residents foot the bill for more than $23 billion that is directly attributable to illegal immigration and its effects. That breaks down to almost $2,000 for every legally present household each year. This from a state that is already carrying more than $1.3 trillion in total state, county, and municipal debt. Who wouldn't want to pay a hefty tax each year to encourage more illegal aliens to move to your community?
The chief catalyst for California's illegal alien crisis has been its embrace of sanctuary laws. By preventing local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities in the deportation of criminal aliens, there are virtually no consequences for violating our nation's immigration laws inside the state of California.
While the Orwellian-named California Values Act (S.B. 54) made sanctuary policy state law, it seems downright moderate compared to what some cities and counties have done. S.B. 54 at least allows cooperation with ICE in only the most extreme of circumstances.
The sanctuary law in Santa Clara, the largest county in northern California, takes an even more radical position, stating that the county "does not, under any circumstances, honor civil detainer requests from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) by holding inmates on ICE's behalf for additional time after they would otherwise be released from County custody."
Before sanctuary laws, it had long been a practice of local law enforcement to cooperate with detainer requests as a way to expedite criminal aliens toward deportation.
The results of this policy have been about as bad as you might expect. In Santa Clara County last November, police arrested Fernando De Jesus Lopez-Garcia after he allegedly stabbed five people inside the Grace Baptist Church, killing two and leaving three others seriously injured.
One witness called 911 to say a "man was going crazy, stabbing people and there was blood everywhere." He was arrested on two counts of murder, three counts of attempted murder, battery on a spouse, and violation of a protective order.
Lopez-Garcia is an illegal alien with an extensive criminal record who had successfully avoided ICE apprehension after each arrest because of local and state sanctuary laws barring cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
In 2019, police arrested Carlos Eduardo Arevalo Carranza, an illegal alien from El Salvador, for allegedly beating and stabbing Bambi Larson to death in her San Jose home. Reports later disclosed that police had previously arrested Carranza ten times for drugs, kidnapping, battery against a police officer, and burglary. ICE had requested an immigration hold on Carranza seven times, but the Santa Clara Sheriff's Office (SCSO) refused every request. Facing criticism for the sanctuary policy, the county supervisors met and inexplicably voted 5-0 to double down on the policy.
My organization, the Immigration Reform Law Institute (IRLI), recently concluded an investigation into these practices in Santa Clara and found some disturbing results.
We submitted a records request with the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office to discover just how many ICE detainers it has received in recent time and how many of them applied to aliens with serious criminal backgrounds. That request revealed that ICE lodged a total of 1,757 detainers in just two years — 909 requests in 2019 and 848 in 2020. The law enforcement records technician with the sheriff's office confirmed with IRLI that every single one of these requests was ignored.
The Sheriff's Office refused to disclose to IRLI how many of the detainer requests applied to aliens who were convicted or charged with serious or violent felony offenses. When IRLI asked about the last year an ICE detainer request was honored by the county, a records technician there replied that he could not find records that showed the last time a detainer request was honored.
The results of these laws are clear. The county has become a haven for illegal aliens, particularly those with criminal records. The communities are demonstrably less safe, and the influx of new arrivals creates a heavy financial burden on legal state residents. Is it any wonder that taxpayers are fleeing the state in droves?
As the Biden administration goes full speed with its anti-borders agenda, however, there will be no place for concerned Americans to flee. California-style laws will soon become federal laws. We're about to conduct a national experiment in anti-borders cause and effect. Buckle up.
Dale L. Wilcox is executive director and general counsel at the Immigration Reform Law Institute, a public interest law firm working to defend the rights and interests of the American people from the negative effects of mass migration.
