TikTok bill passes House with bipartisan vote, moving one step closer to possible ban

WASHINGTON — The House of Representatives on Wednesday passed a bill that would ban TikTok in the United States unless its Beijing-based parent company ByteDance sells its stake in the hugely popular social media platform.

The vote was 352 in favor to 65 against, with 197 Republicans and 155 Democrats voting for approval, demonstrating broad bipartisan support. Fifteen Republicans and 50 Democrats voted against the bill. One Democratic member voted “now.”

The House expedited the bill, known as the Protecting Americans from Regulatory Applications by Foreign Adversaries Act, by considering it under a procedure that requires support from two-thirds of members to pass. It was approved.

The bill now heads to the Democratic-controlled Senate. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York was not keen on bringing the bill to a vote, saying in a one-line statement that the Senate would “consider the bill once it is submitted by the House.”

President Biden has vowed to sign a bill that would ban ByteDance from U.S. app stores and web hosting services if it does not sell TikTok within six months.

TikTok has been repeatedly targeted by lawmakers who have called for restrictions on the app over concerns that the Chinese government could force ByteDance to hand over the data of its 170 million U.S. users. Lawmakers say the concerns are justified because China's national security law requires organizations to cooperate in gathering intelligence.

FBI Director Christopher Wray said, “Americans must ask themselves: Do they want to give the Chinese government the ability to control access to their data? Do they want to give the Chinese government the ability to control the information obtained through recommendation algorithms? We need to do that.” Members of the House Intelligence Committee added Tuesday that the Chinese government could compromise Americans' devices through the software.

Officials brief House members on TikTok and ByteDance ahead of bill vote 04:07

TikTok has long denied that the Chinese government could use it to spy on Americans. “The process was confidential and the bill stalled for one reason: prohibition,” a company spokesperson said in a statement after the House vote. A spokesperson said TikTik “is committed to ensuring that the Senate considers the facts, listens to our constituents, and evaluates the impact on our economy, our 7 million small businesses, and the 170 million Americans who use our services.” I hope they recognize it.”

China's Ministry of Commerce said last year that it “firmly opposes” a forced sale of TikTok. Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington, accused the United States of waging a disinformation campaign “with the aim of destroying the company.”

Liu said in a statement that the United States has “failed to present any solid evidence to prove the so-called threat to U.S. national security posed by TikTok,” adding that the U.S. is committed to “open, fair, equal and non-discriminatory business.” I asked for it,” he said. We provide an environment for companies from all countries doing business in the United States.”

But it's unclear whether the House passage of this bill marks the beginning of the end for TikTok in the United States. , is stuck in disagreement over legal issues.

In recent days, TikTok has used its large user base against lawmakers, with concerned constituents calling Congressional offices to register their opposition to the bill. A recent Pew Research Center survey found support for banning TikTok declined even among adults who were aware of ByteDance's ties to China.

There were also questions about whether opposing the bill would stifle Republican support, much as former President Donald Trump helped collapse a bipartisan immigration deal earlier this year. President Trump withdrew his support for banning TikTok, arguing that doing so would benefit Facebook, but also saying TikTok was a national security risk. President Trump signed an executive order in 2020 that effectively banned the company from operating in the United States, but it faced a legal challenge from the company and was ultimately rescinded by the Biden administration.

The House bill is likely to face obstacles in the Senate, where bipartisan efforts to restrict TikTok stalled last year. Some senators have balked at focusing on just one social media platform, saying it violates the First Amendment.

Earlier this week, Sen. Mark Warner (Virginia), the Democratic chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, told reporters that he has “concerns about naming specific companies in legislation.” But in a statement after the House vote, Warner and Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, vice chairman of the Intelligence Committee, said, “We are encouraged by the strong bipartisan vote in the House today and will work together to pass this bill.” I'm looking forward to doing that.” It passed the Senate and was signed into law. ”

Last week, the House Energy and Commerce Committee unanimously passed the measure after Justice Department and FBI officials gave members a confidential briefing on TikTok. House members were briefed again Tuesday by national security officials.

One person said the Justice Department told lawmakers it would be better to give the government the power to force ByteDance to leave TikTok instead of banning the app outright if ByteDance fails to sell. He said he advised that the bill would be on a more stable legal basis. Memo obtained by CBS News. The White House also indicated it may not yet withstand legal scrutiny.

The bill's sponsor, Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., said Tuesday that the bill faces a legal challenge because it “doesn't have the authority to go after American companies and it doesn't have the authority to go after content.” He said he believes it will be able to withstand the

“This regulates conduct, not content,” Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, said after a closed-door conference Tuesday defending the bill.

Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., said he and other Democrats who oppose the bill will press their Senate colleagues to “make sure the Senate doesn't rush this thing.”

“Right now, I'm more hopeful that the Senate is doing the right thing than we are in the House,” he said at a news conference with TikTok creators outside the Capitol on Tuesday.

Gallagher, who heads the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, said an overwhelming yes vote would send a message to the Senate.

“I'm hoping for a big vote on Wednesday to force the Senate to take up this bill,” he said.

Jaala Brown, Cristina Corujo, Alan He and Robert Legare contributed reporting.

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Caitlin Irek

Caitlin Irek is a political reporter for cbsnews.com based in Washington, DC. She previously worked at the Washington Examiner and The Hill, and she was a member of the National Press Foundation's 2022 Paul Miller Washington Reporting Fellowship.

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