Full House Eyes Vote on Forcing ByteDance to Sell TikTok

A bill to ban TikTok in the U.S. if China’s ByteDance doesn’t divest the popular social media app will head to the full House of Representatives for consideration this week, said House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La.

Scalise, who called the legislation a “critical national security bill" that would force TikTok to "sever" its "ties to the Chinese Communist Party," posted his comments March 7 on social media platform X hours after the House Energy and Commerce Committee approved the proposal by a 50-0 vote (see 2403070063).

Separately, Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., said in a statement March 7 that she "will be talking to my Senate and House colleagues to try to find a path forward" on TikTok-related legislation while addressing concerns that some lawmakers have raised about the House bill. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., has said he believes the House bill might be unconstitutional because it would punish a specific company without due process (see 2403060079).