Here's how Pa.'s congressional reps voted on a possible TikTok ban

Bethany Rodgers, USA TODAY NETWORK
·3 min read

A bipartisan majority of Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation voted Wednesday in support of a potential ban on the popular social media platform TikTok, with three representatives dissenting.

Lawmakers have been exploring restrictions on the video-sharing app because of concerns about how the China-based company could use data harvested from American users. Supporters of a potential ban say the Chinese government could demand access to this information, contending that this possibility poses a national security threat.

The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday voted 352-65 to pass a measure that would ban TikTok in the United States unless the app’s owner sells it.

Protesters watch from outside the U.S. Capitol as the House approved a bill Wednesday that would force TikTok’s parent company to sell the popular social media app or face a practical ban in the U.S.
Protesters watch from outside the U.S. Capitol as the House approved a bill Wednesday that would force TikTok’s parent company to sell the popular social media app or face a practical ban in the U.S.

Company representatives have accused lawmakers of ramming the legislation through the House without enough public deliberation and emphasized the app’s importance to individuals and small businesses across the U.S.

Now that it has cleared the House, the TikTok legislation will move over to the Senate for consideration. President Joe Biden has already signaled that he would sign the bill if it succeeds in the legislature.

“This legislation is not a ban, it simply protects the American people from companies which are owned or controlled by nations which pose a national security threat, like China, Russia, or Iran,” Rep. Lloyd Smucker, a Lancaster County Republican, said in a prepared statement after voting for the proposal.

More: House passes TikTok bill. Are TikTok's days numbered? What you need to know.

Rep. Scott Perry, a Republican from York County, was among the handful of Pennsylvania representatives to oppose the measure. Although he expressed concerns about how the Chinese government might use TikTok, he said the bill’s language was overly broad and could have unintended consequences.

“I don’t think the federal government should be a babysitter,” he said in a video posted to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. “And I think there are better ways of doing this.”

Pennsylvania representatives who voted yes on the TikTok bill:

  • Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, Republican from Bucks County

  • Rep. Dwight Evans, Democrat from Philadelphia

  • Rep. Madeleine Dean, Democrat from Montgomery County

  • Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, Democrat from Delaware County

  • Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, Democrat from Chester County

  • Rep. Susan Wild, Democrat from Lehigh County

  • Rep. Matt Cartwright, Democrat from Lackawanna County

  • Rep. Dan Meuser, Republican from Luzerne County

  • Rep. Lloyd Smucker, Republican from Lancaster County

  • Rep. John Joyce, Republican from Blair County

  • Rep. Guy Reschenthaler, Republican from Washington County

  • Rep. Glenn "GT" Thompson, Republican from Centre County

  • Rep. Mike Kelly, Republican from Butler County

  • Rep. Chris Deluzio, Democrat from Allegheny County

Pennsylvania representatives who voted no on the TikTok bill:

  • Rep. Brendan Boyle, Democrat from Philadelphia

  • Rep. Scott Perry, Republican from York County

  • Rep. Summer Lee, Democrat from Allegheny County

This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Three PA representatives oppose TikTok ban bill