NE Washington News

House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers has announced a Full Committee markup to consider two significant acts aimed at protecting American data and national security from foreign adversaries. The legislation to be discussed includes H.R. 7521, the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, and H.R. 7520, the Protecting Americans’ Data from Foreign Adversaries Act of 2024.

In a statement regarding H.R. 7521, Chair Rodgers expressed the importance of safeguarding American citizens from potential threats posed by foreign adversaries through applications like TikTok. She stated, “Foreign adversaries like China pose the greatest national security threat of our time. With applications like TikTok, these countries are able to target, surveil, and manipulate Americans.”

Chair Rodgers commended the Select Committee on the CCP Chair Mike Gallagher and Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi for their bipartisan leadership on H.R. 7521, emphasizing the need to ban applications controlled by foreign adversaries that pose national security risks.

Regarding H.R. 7520, Chair Rodgers highlighted the risks associated with data brokers collecting sensitive information on Americans and potentially selling it to foreign adversaries. She stated, “Data brokers collect a stunning amount of sensitive information and data on Americans—from their physical and mental health, to when and where they’re traveling.”

The Full Committee Markup for both acts is scheduled for Thursday, March 7, 2024, at 2:00 P.M. ET in the 2123 Rayburn House Office Building. The hearing will be open to the public and press, with live streaming available online at https://energycommerce.house.gov/.

For further information about the hearing, individuals are encouraged to contact Noah Jackson at Noah.Jackson@mail.house.gov. Press-related inquiries can be directed to Sean Kelly at Sean.Kelly@mail.house.gov.