Tammy Murphy criticizes Andy Kim for missing TikTok vote in House

Like teenagers and parents across America, New Jersey first lady Tammy Murphy and U.S. Rep. Andy Kim are at odds over whether TikTok should be banned.

Murphy and Kim are competing in the New Jersey Democratic primary to replace the legally-troubled Sen. Bob Menendez. Murphy went after Kim for missing Wednesday’s vote to pass a bill that requires TikTok to be sold to a non-Chinese company or be banned nationally, a policy Murphy supports.

“Instead of joining every other Democrat in New Jersey’s Congressional delegation and taking action, Andy Kim couldn’t be bothered to show up and vote,” she said.

But Kim’s “action” wouldn’t have helped the bill. He said he would have voted no if he was able to attend because he believes Congress should take a more comprehensive approach to protecting data and privacy online.

“If we are concerned about what TikTok can do with accessing and controlling Americans’ data, I’m concerned about what any corporation or entity can do with it,” he said in a statement.

It’s unclear why Kim couldn’t attend the vote, but it is clear that it’s easy to lose track of time scrolling through TikTok. Maybe it’s a coincidence.

Clout provides often irreverent news and analysis about people, power, and politics.