H76 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE January 6, 2021 software developed or controlled by RECESS of people be on the floor, may I ask Chinese companies. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- how one would make an objection or The pace and pervasiveness of the ant to clause 12(a) of rule I, the Chair make a parliamentary inquiry in the spread in the United States of certain declares the House in recess until ap- future if you are not on the floor but in connected mobile and desktop applica- proximately 12:55 p.m. today. the gallery. tions and other software developed or Accordingly (at 12 o’clock and 6 min- The VICE PRESIDENT. Under sec- controlled by persons in the People’s utes p.m.), the House stood in recess. tion 18 of title 3, United States Code, Republic of China (PRC), to include debate is not permitted in the joint Hong Kong and Macau (China), con- f session. tinue to threaten the national secu- b 1255 Mr. GRIFFITH. Further parliamen- rity, foreign policy, and economy of tary inquiry. the United States. By accessing per- AFTER RECESS Mr. Vice President, I am not at- sonal electronic devices such as The recess having expired, the House tempting to debate. I am trying to find smartphones, tablets, and computers, was called to order by the Speaker at out how a parliamentary inquiry or a Chinese connected software applica- 12 o’clock and 55 minutes p.m. parliamentary point of order would be made in following with the Speaker’s tions can access and capture vast f swaths of information from users, in- request that most of us not be on the cluding sensitive personally identifi- ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE SPEAKER floor. How do you make one of those able information and private informa- The SPEAKER. As the House comes points of order when you don’t know tion. The continuing activity of the to order for this important, historic what is going to happen later? PRC and the Chinese Communist Party meeting, let us be reminded that each The VICE PRESIDENT. Respectfully, to steal or otherwise obtain United side, House and Senate, Democrats and the gentleman’s parliamentary inquiry States persons’ data makes clear that Republicans, each have 11 Members al- constitutes debate, which is not per- there is an intent to use bulk data col- lowed to be present on the floor. Others mitted in the joint session under sec- lection to advance China’s economic may be in the gallery. This is at the tion 18 of title 3, United States Code. and national security agenda. To deal guidance of the Attending Physician Madam Speaker, Members of Con- with this threat, additional steps are and the Sergeant at Arms. gress, pursuant to the Constitution and required against those who develop or The gentlemen on the Republican the laws of the United States, the Sen- control certain Chinese connected soft- side of the aisle will please observe so- ate and House of Representatives are ware applications to protect our na- cial distancing and the agreement to meeting in joint session to verify the tional security. have 11 Members on each side so that certificates and count the votes of the The Executive Order prohibits cer- we can honor the responsibility to this electors of the several States for Presi- tain future transactions, as determined Chamber of this House of Representa- dent and Vice President of the United by the Secretary of Commerce (Sec- tives. States. retary), involving the following Chi- Please exit the floor if you do not After ascertainment has been had nese connected software applications: have an assigned role from your leader- that the certificates are authentic and Alipay, CamScanner, QQ Wallet, ship. You can share with your staff if correct in form, the tellers will count SHAREit, Tencent QQ, VMate, WeChat you want to have a few more, but you and make a list of the votes cast by the Pay, and WPS Office. The Secretary is cannot be that close together on the electors of the several States. The tellers on the part of the two also directed to: floor of the House with that many peo- ple in here. Houses will take their places at the (i) continue to evaluate Chinese con- Clerk’s desk. nected software applications that may I thank the Senate, and the Demo- The tellers, Mr. BLUNT and Ms. KLO- pose an unacceptable risk to the na- crats and Republicans, for following BUCHAR on the part of the Senate, and tional security, foreign policy, or econ- the rules. Ms. LOFGREN and Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of omy of the United States, and to take f Illinois on the part of the House, took appropriate action in accordance with their places at the desk. Executive Order 13873; and COUNTING ELECTORAL VOTES— JOINT SESSION OF THE HOUSE The VICE PRESIDENT. Without ob- (ii) in consultation with the Attorney AND SENATE HELD PURSUANT jection, the tellers will dispense with General and the Director of National TO THE PROVISIONS OF SENATE the reading of the formal portions of Intelligence, provide a report to the CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 1 the certificates. Assistant to the President for National There was no objection. Security Affairs with recommenda- At 12:59 p.m., the Sergeant at Arms, The VICE PRESIDENT. After tions to prevent the sale or transfer of Paul D. Irving, announced the Vice ascertaining that the certificates are United States user data to, or access of President and the Senate of the United regular in form and authentic, the tell- such data by, foreign adversaries, in- States. ers will announce the votes cast by the cluding through the establishment of The Senate entered the Hall of the electors for each State, beginning with regulations and policies to identify, House of Representatives, headed by Alabama, which the Parliamentarians control, and license the export of such the Vice President and the Secretary of have advised me is the only certificate data. the Senate, the Members and officers of vote from that State, and purports I have delegated to the Secretary, in of the House rising to receive them. to be a return from the State, and that consultation with the Secretary of the The Vice President took his seat as has annexed to it a certificate from an Treasury and the Attorney General, the Presiding Officer of the joint con- authority of that State purporting to the authority to take such actions, in- vention of the two Houses, the Speaker appoint or ascertain electors. cluding adopting appropriate rules and of the House occupying the chair on his Senator BLUNT. Mr. President, the regulations, and employing all other left. Senators took seats to the right of certificate of the electoral vote of the powers granted to the President by the rostrum as prescribed by law. State of Alabama seems to be regular IEEPA, as may be necessary to imple- The joint session was called to order in form and authentic, and it appears ment the Executive Order. The heads of by the Vice President. therefrom that Donald J. Trump of the all executive departments and agencies PARLIAMENTARY INQUIRIES State of Florida received 9 votes for are directed to take all appropriate Mr. GRIFFITH. Mr. Vice President, President and MICHAEL R. PENCE of the measures within their authority to im- parliamentary inquiry. State of Indiana received 9 votes for plement the provisions of the Execu- The VICE PRESIDENT. The gen- Vice President. tive Order. tleman from Virginia will state his The VICE PRESIDENT. Are there I am enclosing a copy of the Execu- parliamentary inquiry. any objections to counting the certifi- tive Order I have issued. Mr. GRIFFITH. Mr. Vice President, cate of vote of the State of Alabama DONALD J. TRUMP. in order to follow the Speaker’s in- that the teller has verified appears to THE WHITE HOUSE, January 5, 2021. structions that only a limited number be regular in form and authentic? VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:21 May 10, 2021 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\RECORD21\JANUARY\H06JA1.REC H06JA1 sradovich on DSKJLST7X2PROD with CONG-REC-ONLINE January 6, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H77 There was no objection. SENATORS the Chair will put the question, Shall The VICE PRESIDENT. Hearing Mike Braun, John Kennedy, Ron Johnson, the objection be agreed to? none, this certificate from Alaska, the Steve Daines, James Lankford, Bill Hagerty, The Clerk will report the objection Parliamentarians have advised me, is Marsha Blackburn. made in the joint session. the only certificate of vote from that MEMBERS OF CONGRESS The Clerk read the objection as fol- State that purports to be a return from Mo Brooks AL–5, Andy Biggs AZ–5, Jim lows: the State and that has annexed to it a Jordan OH–4, Madison Cawthorn NC–11, OBJECTION TO COUNTING THE ELECTORAL certificate from an authority of the Scott Perry PA–10, Mike Kelly PA–16, Clay VOTES OF THE STATE OF ARIZONA State purporting to appoint and ascer- Higgins LA–3, John W. Rose TN–6, Bill Posey We, a Member of the House of Representa- tain electors. FL–8, Jeff Duncan SC–3, Brian Babin TX–36, tives and a United States Senator, object to Louie Gohmert TX–1, Brian J. Mast FL–18, Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. President, the the counting of the electoral votes of the Warren Davidson OH–8, Andy Harris MD–1, State of Arizona on the ground that they certificate of the electoral vote of the Steven Palazzo MS–4, Doug Lamborn CO–5, were not, under all of the known cir- State of Alaska seems to be regular in Kat Cammack FL–3.