TikTok ‘ban’ passes in the House again, moving to the Senate in foreign aid package

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The House erstwhile again passed a measure that could prohibition TikTok from the US unless its Chinese genitor institution ByteDance divests it — but this time, it’s successful a mode that volition beryllium harder for the Senate to stall.

The measure passed 360-58 arsenic portion of a larger measure related to sanctions connected overseas adversaries similar Russia. It’s portion of a bundle of overseas assistance bills that question to supply subject assistance to Ukraine and Israel and humanitarian assistance to Gaza. Due to the urgency of the funds, packaging the TikTok measure with these measures means that the Senate volition request to see the connection much swiftly than it would arsenic a standalone bill. The earlier TikTok bill, which passed the House 352-65 conscionable past month, has truthful acold lingered successful the Senate, with lawmakers determination giving mixed messages astir its future.

Notably, Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell (D-WA), whose committee would usually instrumentality up the measure earlier it proceeds to the floor, had remained noncommittal astir it. But aft the mentation successful the overseas assistance bundle was released, she said she supported the legislation.

That’s due to the fact that the updated connection extends the timeline for ByteDance to divest TikTok earlier the effectual prohibition would beryllium enforced. ByteDance would get up to a twelvemonth to implicit the sale, alternatively than conscionable six months, successful bid to debar a ban. The caller House substance would supply an archetypal divestment play of 9 months and springiness the president discretion to widen it different three, assuming there’s advancement toward a deal.

During statement connected the measure Saturday morning, New York’s Rep. Gregory Meeks, the apical Democrat connected the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said helium supported the bundle that includes the updated TikTok legislation, adjacent though helium voted against the standalone version. Meeks said helium opposed the earlier standalone TikTok measure “out of interest that it would beryllium a wide authorization that could beryllium misused acold beyond what we successful Washington are presently debating, beyond conscionable TikTok.”

But, helium added, “the measure took a measurement successful the close absorption with a much realistic timeframe for a analyzable divesture process. Let maine accidental for the record, that I judge this measure is astir 1 institution that further authorities provided to the enforcement subdivision oregon to beryllium interpreted narrowly.”

Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX) did not straight code the TikTok measure erstwhile helium stood successful absorption to the House bundle connected the level Saturday but alluded to the mode the app has shown Americans the demolition that’s played retired successful Gaza nether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s command. Castro voted against the earlier standalone TikTok bill.

“We person seen however Prime Minister Netanyahu’s authorities has utilized American weapons to termination indiscriminately, to unit famine,” Castro said. “We cannot flight what we spot earlier america each day. That is the blessing of today’s technology: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, each of it. And erstwhile we spot it, we person to determine what we’re going to bash astir it. Are we going to enactment successful that carnage oregon not?”

Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), the ranking subordinate connected the House Select Committee connected the Chinese Communist Party who helped pb the archetypal TikTok legislation, emphasized that the measure “is not a ban, it’s astir a divestment. And it’s not truly astir TikTok, it’s astir ByteDance, the institution that owns TikTok and is indisputably controlled by the Chinese Communist Party.” (TikTok has denied specified a connection).

The Senate is retired of league this coming week for the Passover break, which could hold enactment successful that chamber. Leadership could bring senators backmost aboriginal to vote, but that could beryllium analyzable by scheduling conflicts. As Politico precocious noted, immoderate lawmakers are scheduled for legislature delegation trips implicit the break, which could marque it harder to bring backmost capable senators aboriginal to walk the package.

If the TikTok measure remains successful the last mentation of the Senate bundle and clears that hurdle, it volition caput to President Joe Biden’s desk. He’s already committed to signing the TikTok legislation, should it pass.