The House wants to make TikTok sell or ban it. They’re hurrying to make it happen. Speaker Mike Johnson plans to combine this with help for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. The new law gives TikTok’s owner, ByteDance, nine months to sell the app. The president can add another 90 days if needed.
House lawmakers plan to vote Saturday on a group of laws. These include the TikTok ban and other bills Republicans like.
They hope this will encourage votes for foreign aid. If this bundle passes, it goes to the Senate as one bill. They might vote on it soon. President Biden promised to sign the TikTok ban if it gets to him.
Paul Gallant, who works for the financial company TD Cowen, thinks the plan to bundle TikTok is unusual but could work. He says it’s a bit of a game to push for a vote without talking more with the Senate.
Efforts to Address TikTok Ownership Concerns
Lawmakers are trying hard to take TikTok from China because they worry about national security. They think China might ask TikTok for American users’ data or use it for spreading their own messages. Before, the House wanted to do this, but the Senate wasn’t sure it was legal.
TikTok says these worries about security are unfair. They’ve spent a lot of money making plans to keep American data safe and let others check what gets shown on the app.
Lots of people in the U.S., about 170 million, use TikTok every month. TikTok also has many workers here, almost 7,000 of them.
TikTok doesn’t want to give up its ownership, and they say this new law would make the app illegal.
A TikTok spokesperson said it’s not right for the House to push for a ban under the cover of other important issues. They believe this law would harm the freedom of speech for millions of Americans and small businesses and hurt the economy, too.
Pushing for TikTok Sale
Senator Maria Cantwell from Washington, who leads the Senate commerce committee, is pleased with the extension of the ByteDance divestment period. She backs the updated legislation.
The House’s move to tie TikTok legislation with aid for Ukraine and Israel pushes the Senate to act.
Legal battles may await if the bill becomes law. Previous attempts to ban or sell TikTok faced court blocks. Challenges include potential opposition from Beijing and the app’s high sale price.
Lawmakers and administration officials share concerns over TikTok’s national security risks. The White House assisted in drafting the House-passed legislation. Briefings from intelligence agencies fueled support for the bill, but some details remain classified.
Also Read: Google’s Sensational Contract with Israel Defense
1 thought on “Complete House Moves: New TikTok Bill With Affordable Aid”