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The Republican-controlled House included the measure in a
sweeping $95 billion legislative package that would provide aid
to allies including Ukraine and Israel, a major step forward in
a months-long push in Washington.
The new bill, which would give ByteDance a year to sell the
short-video app, won the support of U.S. Senate Commerce
Committee chair Maria Cantwell, whose backing greatly increases
the chances of the measure becoming law.
The prior bill passed by the House last month with strong
bipartisan support would have allowed ByteDance only six months
to sell.
Many lawmakers and President Joe Biden's administration say
TikTok poses national security risks because China could compel
the company to share the data of its 170 million U.S. users,
while TikTok insists it has never shared U.S. data and never
would.
Cantwell had been lukewarm on the initial bill but expressed
full-throated support for the version put forward as part of a
package negotiated by House Speaker Mike Johnson.
"I'm very happy that Speaker Johnson and House leaders
incorporated my recommendation to extend the Byte Dance
divestment period from six months to a year," Cantwell said in a
statement. "Extending the divestment period is necessary to
ensure there is enough time for a new buyer to get a deal done.
I support this updated legislation."
In a statement, a TikTok spokesperson said it was "unfortunate
that the House of Representatives is using the cover of
important foreign and humanitarian assistance" to push the bill
through.
The company said that limits on the app would violate users'
right to free speech, protected by the First Amendment of the
U.S. Constitution, and affect 7 million American businesses that
it says use the app.
Cantwell in a March interview with Reuters said she wants
legislation to address broad concerns about foreign apps that
will hold up in court, adding that she wanted "the strongest
possible tool, and we want it to be the most robust tool we can
get."
(Reporting by Moira Warburton in Washington; Editing by Scott
Malone and Matthew Lewis)
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