NEW DELHI: The House of Representatives has approved legislation that would ban TikTok in the United States unless its Chinese owner sells its stake in the company within a year. The inclusion of TikTok in a broader foreign aid package by House Republicans, which is a priority for President Joe Biden and has widespread congressional support for countries like Ukraine and Israel, accelerated the process of the ban.The initial version of the bill had faced a roadblock in the Senate before this move.
Earlier, a standalone bill with a six-month deadline for selling TikTok had received overwhelming bipartisan support in the House back in March. Both Democrats and Republicans had expressed concerns about national security due to the app’s ownership by the Chinese tech company ByteDance Ltd. The revised legislation will now head to the Senate.
Even if the bill is enacted into law, ByteDance would still have up to a year to find a buyer and is likely to challenge the law in court, arguing that it infringes on the First Amendment rights of its millions of users.
ByteDance has vehemently opposed the legislation and urged its 170 million US users, many of whom are young, to contact Congress and voice their opposition. However, this pushback has not been well-received by lawmakers on Capitol Hill, who are deeply concerned about Chinese threats to the United States and have limited presence on the platform themselves.
The House also passed provisions to support Ukraine, strengthen Taiwan, and approved a significant amount of military aid to Israel. These bills received strong bipartisan backing during a rare Saturday session, although they have raised questions about the future of House Speaker Mike Johnson as he faces challenges from right-wing critics.
The aid for Israel comes as the country is engaged in a conflict with Hamas despite international concerns for civilian well-being in Gaza. The bill, set to be taken up by the Senate soon, primarily focuses on bolstering Israel’s Iron Dome air defense system.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed gratitude for the long-awaited aid package, emphasizing the lifesaving impact it would have. The bills are the result of contentious negotiations, pressure from US allies, and repeated appeals for assistance from Zelenskyy. The funding for Ukraine has been a point of contention in Congress, with disagreements between parties delaying approval for over a year.
President Biden and Democratic lawmakers have been advocating for substantial military support for Ukraine, while Republicans, influenced by former President Donald Trump, have been hesitant to allocate funds for the conflict. The recent $61 billion package for Ukraine, which includes economic aid and weapons support, has finally garnered support from Speaker Johnson after much deliberation.
The bill also enables the confiscation and sale of Russian assets to provide further financial assistance to Ukraine for reconstruction, a move endorsed by other G7 nations. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer indicated that the bill could be taken up for consideration as early as Tuesday.
(With inputs from agencies)
Earlier, a standalone bill with a six-month deadline for selling TikTok had received overwhelming bipartisan support in the House back in March. Both Democrats and Republicans had expressed concerns about national security due to the app’s ownership by the Chinese tech company ByteDance Ltd. The revised legislation will now head to the Senate.
Even if the bill is enacted into law, ByteDance would still have up to a year to find a buyer and is likely to challenge the law in court, arguing that it infringes on the First Amendment rights of its millions of users.
ByteDance has vehemently opposed the legislation and urged its 170 million US users, many of whom are young, to contact Congress and voice their opposition. However, this pushback has not been well-received by lawmakers on Capitol Hill, who are deeply concerned about Chinese threats to the United States and have limited presence on the platform themselves.
The House also passed provisions to support Ukraine, strengthen Taiwan, and approved a significant amount of military aid to Israel. These bills received strong bipartisan backing during a rare Saturday session, although they have raised questions about the future of House Speaker Mike Johnson as he faces challenges from right-wing critics.
The aid for Israel comes as the country is engaged in a conflict with Hamas despite international concerns for civilian well-being in Gaza. The bill, set to be taken up by the Senate soon, primarily focuses on bolstering Israel’s Iron Dome air defense system.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed gratitude for the long-awaited aid package, emphasizing the lifesaving impact it would have. The bills are the result of contentious negotiations, pressure from US allies, and repeated appeals for assistance from Zelenskyy. The funding for Ukraine has been a point of contention in Congress, with disagreements between parties delaying approval for over a year.
President Biden and Democratic lawmakers have been advocating for substantial military support for Ukraine, while Republicans, influenced by former President Donald Trump, have been hesitant to allocate funds for the conflict. The recent $61 billion package for Ukraine, which includes economic aid and weapons support, has finally garnered support from Speaker Johnson after much deliberation.
The bill also enables the confiscation and sale of Russian assets to provide further financial assistance to Ukraine for reconstruction, a move endorsed by other G7 nations. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer indicated that the bill could be taken up for consideration as early as Tuesday.
(With inputs from agencies)