WASHINGTON — The bill that could force TikTok out of app stores is expected to pass the U.S. House on Wednesday. A bipartisan group of lawmakers said ByteDance, the Chinese-owned parent company of TikTok, needs to sell the app within six months, or it’ll no longer be available in the U.S.
Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Green Bay, who heads the special House committee investigating China, said the legislation is more about creating a structure to protect Americans from apps controlled by foreign adversaries, rather than targeting TikTok specifically.
“It’s a regulatory framework, not a punitive framework,” Gallagher said Tuesday.
Gallagher is one of several lawmakers who said TikTok poses a national security threat, arguing the Chinese government could use TikTok to access users’ data or push content intended to influence them. Lobbying from both sides is happening on Capitol Hill, and officials from the Department of Justice and FBI briefed lawmakers in a private meeting Tuesday.
“It was a very sober conversation,” Gallagher said. “And really, people were kind of engaging intellectually with a complicated issue. And that was really the goal.”
Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Madison, wasn’t swayed in the meeting and is a “no” on the bill, citing frustration with the abruptness of this process. The bill was introduced and voted out of a House committee last week.
Several of Wisconsin’s Republican representatives said they’ll support it.
“I don’t think it’s this wonderful panacea they’re building it up to be, but right now, I’d vote for the bill,” said Rep. Glenn Grothman, R-Glenbeulah, said.
TikTok said this bill is a violation of the First Amendment and is encouraging users to call their representatives in opposition.
“About 75-80% of people who contacted my office were under the age of 18,” said Rep. Kat Cammack, R-Florida. “And many of them were in class; several were crying.”
In a letter, Gallagher and Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Illinois, said TikTok is making an effort to “manipulate and mobilize American citizens on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party.” They add that the app’s call to action for its users underscores the necessity of this bill.
“It’s so clear that the Biden administration feels that this bill — the bill that’s coming up for a vote tomorrow at 10 a.m. — is crucial,” Krishnamoorthi said. “It’s essential for their ability to adequately balance national security considerations against constitutional rights in the proper manner.”
Lawmakers expect the bill to overwhelmingly pass the U.S. House on Wednesday, but it remains to be seen if the legislation can pass the Senate. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., said he’s open to a conversation about the bill but doesn’t like bans, and Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., said she supports the House’s effort to eliminate the national security threat.