software developed or controlled by Chinese companies.
The pace and pervasiveness of the spread in the United States of certain connected mobile and desktop applications and other software developed or controlled by persons in the People’s Republic of China (PRC), to include Hong Kong and Macau (China), continue to threaten the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States. By accessing personal electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets, and computers, Chinese connected software applications can access and capture vast swaths of information from users, including sensitive personally identifiable information and private information. The continuing activity of the PRC and the Chinese Communist Party to steal or otherwise obtain United States persons’ data makes clear that there is an intent to use bulk data collection to advance China’s economic and national security agenda. To deal with this threat, additional steps are required against those who develop or control certain Chinese connected software applications to protect our national security.
The Executive Order prohibits certain future transactions, as determined by the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary), involving the following Chinese connected software applications: Alipay, CamScanner, QQ Wallet, SHAREit, Tencent QQ, VMate, WeChat Pay, and WPS Office. The Secretary is also directed to:
(i) continue to evaluate Chinese connected software applications that may pose an unacceptable risk to the national security, foreign policy, or economy of the United States, and to take appropriate action in accordance with Executive Order 13873; and
(ii) in consultation with the Attorney General and the Director of National Intelligence, provide a report to the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs with recommendations to prevent the sale or transfer of United States user data to, or access of such data by, foreign adversaries, including through the establishment of regulations and policies to identify, control, and license the export of such data.
I have delegated to the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury and the Attorney General, the authority to take such actions, including adopting appropriate rules and regulations, and employing all other powers granted to the President by IEEPA, as may be necessary to implement the Executive Order. The heads of all executive departments and agencies are directed to take all appropriate measures within their authority to implement the provisions of the Executive Order.
I am enclosing a copy of the Executive Order I have issued.
Donald J. Trump.
RECESS
The Speaker pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 12(a) of rule I, the Chair declares the House in recess until approximately 12:55 p.m. today.
Accordingly (at 12 o’clock and 6 minutes p.m.), the House stood in recess.
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AFTER RECESS
The recess having expired, the House was called to order by the Speaker at 12 o’clock and 55 minutes p.m.
ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE SPEAKER
The Speaker. As the House comes to order for this important, historic meeting, let us be reminded that each side, House and Senate, Democrats and Republicans, each have 11 Members allowed to be present on the floor. Others may be in the gallery. This is at the guidance of the Attending Physician and the Sergeant at Arms.
The gentlemen on the Republican side of the aisle will please observe social distancing and the agreement to have 11 Members on each side so that we can honor the responsibility to this Chamber of this House of Representatives.
Please exit the floor if you do not have an assigned role from your leadership. You can share with your staff if you want to have a few more, but you cannot be that close together on the floor of the House with that many people in here.
I thank the Senate, and the Democrats and Republicans, for following the rules.
COUNTING ELECTORAL VOTES—JOINT SESSION OF THE HOUSE AND SENATE HELD PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 1
At 12:59 p.m., the Sergeant at Arms, Paul D. Irving, announced the Vice President and the Senate of the United States.
The Senate entered the Hall of the House of Representatives, headed by the Vice President and the Secretary of the Senate, the Members and officers of the House rising to receive them.
The Vice President took his seat as the Presiding Officer of the joint convention of the two Houses, the Speaker of the House occupying the chair on his left. Senators took seats to the right of the rostrum as prescribed by law.
The joint session was called to order by the Vice President.
PARLIAMENTARY INQUIRIES
Mr. Griffith. Mr. Vice President, parliamentary inquiry.
The Vice President. The gentleman from Virginia will state his parliamentary inquiry.
Mr. Griffith. Mr. Vice President, in order to follow the Speaker’s instructions that only a limited number of people be on the floor, may I ask how one would make an objection or make a parliamentary inquiry in the future if you are not on the floor but in the gallery.
The Vice President. Under section 18 of title 3, United States Code, debate is not permitted in the joint session.
Mr. Griffith. Further parliamentary inquiry.
Mr. Vice President, I am not attempting to debate. I am trying to find out how a parliamentary inquiry or a parliamentary point of order would be made in following with the Speaker’s request that most of us not be on the floor. How do you make one of those points of order when you don’t know what is going to happen later?
The Vice President. Respectfully, the gentleman’s parliamentary inquiry constitutes debate, which is not permitted in the joint session under section 18 of title 3, United States Code.
Madam Speaker, Members of Congress, pursuant to the Constitution and the laws of the United States, the Senate and House of Representatives are meeting in joint session to verify the certificates and count the votes of the electors of the several States for President and Vice President of the United States.
After ascertainment has been had that the certificates are authentic and correct in form, the tellers will count and make a list of the votes cast by the electors of the several States.
The tellers on the part of the two Houses will take their places at the Clerk’s desk.
The tellers, Mr. Blunt and Ms. Klobuchar on the part of the Senate, and Ms. Lofgren and Mr. Rodney Davis of Illinois on the part of the House, took their places at the desk.
The Vice President. Without objection, the tellers will dispense with the reading of the formal portions of the certificates.
There was no objection.
The Vice President. After ascertaining that the certificates are regular in form and authentic, the tellers will announce the votes cast by the electors for each State, beginning with Alabama, which the Parliamentarian has advised me is the only certificate of vote from that State, and purports to be a return from the State, and that has annexed to it a certificate from an authority of that State purporting to appoint or ascertain electors.
Senator Blunt. Mr. President, the certificate of the electoral vote of the State of Alabama seems to be regular in form and authentic, and it appears therefrom that Donald J. Trump of the State of Florida received 9 votes for President and Michael R. Pence of the State of Indiana received 9 votes for Vice President.
The Vice President. Are there any objections to counting the certificate of vote of the State of Alabama that the teller has verified appears to be regular in form and authentic?
