Sen. Josh Hawley is trumpeting word that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is joining his push to bar TikTok from federal government devices.
The Senate passed by unanimous consent a proposal to restrict the China-linked social media platform for government officials earlier this week, and Mrs. Pelosi is unexpectedly supporting the Senate’s push that Mr. Hawley helped lead.
“How about that,” Mr. Hawley, Missouri Republican, said Friday in a Twitter post with a screenshot of a news report saying Mrs. Pelosi favored the restriction.
Mrs. Pelosi said she favors adding the proposed TikTok restrictions to an end-of-year spending bill, according to reports.
The decision to support the ban comes after Mrs. Pelosi appeared noncommittal on Thursday. She told reporters then she had not reviewed the Senate legislation but she would consult the Biden administration.
“Banning TikTok on government devices is an easy call,” Mr. Hawley said on Twitter.
TikTok did not immediately answer questions about Mrs. Pelosi’s position on restricting the platform. TikTok spokesperson Brooke Oberwetter said that Mr. Hawley’s proposal “does nothing to advance U.S. national security interests.”
