Increased number of death threats is forcing Congress to update their phone lines: New switchboard system will better track 'harassing' calls and protect lawmakers inundated with 'threatening' messages after TikTok vote

After congressional offices were inundated with threats about the new TikTok bill, they are finally getting caller ID. 

Through the Administration Committee, the House is updating its system to allow offices to identify callers who are connected through the switchboard system. 

The House's administrative officer will now be able to pass on caller identification to U.S. Capitol Police when an office receives a threatening message. 

According to the memo, obtained by DailyMail.com, they will not be able to provide identification for callers who deliberately block their numbers, but Capitol Police will more easily be able to track down those blocked calls and investigate them. 

Phone lines rang off the hook twice within a week as House members moved to pass a bill that could ban TikTok if it is not divested from Chinese parent company ByteDance. 

Callers consisted of crying children, some clearly calling from classrooms, concerned parents and other users frantically trying to thwart the banning of their favorite social media platform.  

After congressional offices were inundated with threats about the new TikTok bill, they are finally getting caller ID

TikTok sent out push notifications to its U.S. users - over 100 million - telling them 'Your voice matters in stopping the shutdown.' 

The notification prompted users to reach out to their congressional member to urge them to vote against the proposed bill. 

The House China Select Committee last week accused CCP officials of using TikTok to spy on U.S. users' locations and dictate its algorithm to conduct influence campaigns, making it a national security threat.

Meanwhile some of the calls coming into Capitol offices were threats to the lives of members of Congress, or others threatening to take their own life if TikTok were banned. 

'These changes will greatly enhance the U.S. Capitol Police's (USCP) ability to identify and investigate individuals who make threatening or harassing calls to Member offices and will provide staff with a number they can use to follow up with constituents,' said the memo, written by Administration Committee Chair Brian Steil, R-Wis., and Ranking Member Joe Morelle, D-N.Y.

Last week Sen. Thom Tillis released audio of a call that came into his office threatening to shoot him

Last week Sen. Thom Tillis released audio of a call that came into his office threatening to shoot him. 

'Okay listen. If you ban TikTok I will find you and shoot you,' the voice of a child can be heard saying in between giggles. 

'That's people's job and that's my only entertainment,' the call went on. 'Anyways, I'll shoot you and find you and cut you into pieces.'

Tillis wrote on X that the TikTok 'misinformation campaign is pushing people to call their members of Congress, and callers like this who communicate threats against elected officials could be committing a federal crime.'