WASHINGTON – The Senate voted Tuesday to advance a $95 billion aid package to provide critical aid to Ukraine and provisions that could lead to a nationwide ban on TikTok.
The 80-19 vote indicates the bill has enough support to pass a final vote in the Senate, which could take place as early as Tuesday night before President Joe Biden The bill is likely to be signed into law.
The package, passed by the House of Representatives on Saturday, includes $60 billion in aid to Ukraine, which President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said will give Ukraine a “chance for victory” against Russia. The plan includes $26 billion for aid to Israel and humanitarian relief in the Gaza Strip, in addition to $8 billion for security in Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific region.
It gives TikTok's China-based parent company nine months (which the president could extend to a year) to sell the popular social media platform or face a ban in the United States. It turns out. This means TikTok will not be banned until after the 2024 election, which would bring it closer to a ban than ever while ensuring victory.
Senators will discuss Tuesday afternoon whether they can reach an agreement to quickly vote on final passage of the bill later in the day, or whether they should wait until Wednesday for approval.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said in a statement over the weekend that the “finish line is in sight” and that passage of the bill would be a “watershed moment in the defense of our democracy.”
Two months ago, the Senate passed a similar $95 billion foreign aid package 70-29, but it did not include the TikTok provision.
Still, there are signs that the Senate is accepting the House's revised bill to ban TikTok.
Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), chair of the Commerce Committee, supported the new bill and said she was “very pleased” with the extension of TikTok's sales period. A bill previously passed by the House would have given the parent company six months to sell TikTok. Cantwell said she recommended the change.
“I support this latest bill,” she said.
Supporters of banning the app in the United States have raised concerns about TikTok's relationship with Beijing-based ByteDance, saying Americans' data could be accessed by the Chinese government under Chinese law. However, TikTok has downplayed that possibility, saying its headquarters are in Beijing. Singapore and Los Angeles. They also claim that China could manipulate the algorithms to further its propaganda.
In response to last weekend's House vote, a TikTok spokesperson said: “It's unfortunate that the House of Representatives is once again using the cover of important foreign and humanitarian aid to block passage of a bill that tramples on 170 free speech rights.'' ” he said. Destroying 1 million Americans, 7 million businesses, and shutting down a platform that contributes $24 billion a year to the American economy. ”
In a memo sent after the House passed the bill, TikTok officials said that if Biden signs the bill, it will “move to court for legal challenges.”
Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) is lobbying his colleagues to reject the bill, saying 41 senators could join the filibuster.
“We don't need to pass a $95 billion bill. Just 41 senators can stop it,” Lee said. I wrote to X. “There are 49 Republicans in the Senate, more than enough. Where does your senator stand?”
