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Meng Issues Statement on Senator Cotton Questioning

February 1, 2024

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-Queens) today issued the following statement on Senator Cotton’s questioning during yesterday’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.

“Democrats and Republicans alike have many legitimate concerns about social media platforms and the companies behind them. There are real issues with these platforms and the unchecked growth of tech corporations, and I know those on both sides of the aisle are dedicated to finding solutions.

What is not a legitimate concern, however, is the national origin and ethnicity of a company’s executive. At the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing yesterday, Senator Tom Cotton had the opportunity to raise any one of these legitimate concerns with the panel of witnesses. Instead, using his powerful seat on this Committee, Senator Cotton pestered Shou Zi Chew, the CEO of TikTok, not only about his nationality and citizenship, but those of his wife and children. Why did Senator Cotton not ask Linda Yaccarino, the CEO of X, about reports on Elon Musk’s relationship with the Chinese Communist Party? Why did he not feel so compelled to ask similar questions of the other executives?

We know why. Rather than doing basic research in advance of this hearing, Senator Cotton asked a series of thoughtless and derogatory questions. If he had done his research, he would know that Mr. Chew is from Singapore, that Singapore is a country separate from China, and that neither Singapore nor China allow dual citizenship.

Senator Cotton—and many of his fellow Republicans—evidently see Asian people as suspicious, alien, and all the same—and that was on full display yesterday. What an embarrassment.”