House Republicans have included TikTok legislation in the foreign aid package with the intention of prompting a swift Senate vote on the matter. The package comprises four measures, with three focusing on aid to Ukraine, Israel, and the Indo-Pacific regions. The fourth bill, however, could potentially result in a ban on the popular social media app due to its ties to China.
If the legislation is approved, ByteDance, the Chinese parent company of TikTok, would be required to sell the social media platform within nine months. Failure to meet this deadline would lead to TikTok being removed from US app stores. Nevertheless, the bill grants President Joe Biden the authority to extend the deadline by an additional 90 days if he deems progress has been made towards a sale.
Earlier in March, the House had passed a similar TikTok legislation that mandated ByteDance to sell the company within six months. Some senators had raised concerns at that time, suggesting that the deadline might have been too short.
