House Votes Wednesday on TikTok Divestment Bill
The House will vote Wednesday on legislation that would ban TikTok in the U.S. unless Chinese parent company ByteDance divests the popular social media app, an aide for House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., confirmed Tuesday.
House Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., and FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr said Tuesday that the committee’s unanimous vote on the bill last week bodes well for its chances this week, despite opposition from expected Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.
The committee voted 50-0 last week in favor of the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act (HR-7521) (see 2403070066 and 2403080035). Introduced by House Strategic Competition Committee Chairman Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., and ranking member Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., the measure enjoys support from House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., hasn’t committed to taking up the bill. President Joe Biden told reporters Friday he would sign the bill if Congress passes it.
The bill is in a “good spot” in the House, Carr told Fox Business Tuesday. The commissioner said he also likes the bill’s odds in the Senate, noting Schumer’s bipartisan letter with Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., in 2019 concerning TikTok's national security threats. Congress is “on the cusp of achieving a very significant legislative win this week,” said Carr.
Trump in an interview with CNBC on Monday said blocking TikTok will only benefit Facebook, which he previously called the “true enemy of the people.” There are “a lot of young kids on TikTok who will go crazy without it,” said Trump. While president, Trump tried blocking TikTok from doing business in the U.S., invoking the International Emergency Economic Powers Act through an August 2020 executive order (see 2008240047).
The current legislation would build on what Trump tried to accomplish in office, Rodgers told Fox Business in an interview Tuesday. Rodgers admitted she shares Trump’s concerns about Facebook, but the unanimous committee vote shows how strongly members feel about addressing national security threats surrounding TikTok. Rodgers said she’s expecting TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew to visit senators this week. TikTok didn’t comment.
If HR-7521 is signed, ByteDance would need to divest TikTok within 165 days. After that, it would be illegal for app stores to distribute TikTok or provide web hosting services for the app. The legislation extends to apps owned by entities in countries designated as foreign adversaries. That list includes China, Iran, North Korea and Russia.
Arguing in favor of HR-752, a Monday Wall Street Journal editorial said the legislation wouldn’t constitute a First Amendment violation because it addresses significant national security issues associated with the Chinese-controlled app. There’s ample precedent for such a measure given U.S. law restricts foreign ownership of broadcast stations, the editorial board said. It also noted that the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States forced Chinese owners of gay dating app Grindr to relinquish control of that company.