> “You had to dial the phone number on the screen before you could enter the app, so a lot of people were just hanging up,” when they connected, said committee member Rep. Scott Peters (D., Calif.).

Was that really true, that they basically forced their users to call? I don't use TikTok.

> Committee member Rep. John Curtis (R., Utah) said he didn’t like that a Chinese-owned app tried to “manipulate a response” from its users. He said that feeling solidified unanimous support for the bill.

That seems kind of predictable. I don't doubt the possibility of Americans having dumb ideas like this, but this stunt does feel a bit like it came from the "home office," where they'd probably have a misinformed, oversimplified understanding of how American politics works.