Washington — In a surprising turn of events, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell announced his support for legislation that could potentially result in the banning of TikTok in the United States. This endorsement comes after the bill faced a slowdown in the Senate, despite quickly passing through the House last month.
During his address on the Senate floor, the Kentucky Republican emphasized the importance of addressing the issue promptly, referring to TikTok as "a tool of surveillance and of propaganda." McConnell expressed his willingness to back bipartisan efforts to remove what he described as "one of Beijing's favorite tools of coercion and espionage" from the American market.
The proposed legislation aims to compel ByteDance, TikTok's Beijing-based parent company, to divest its ownership of the platform within six months to continue utilizing U.S. web-hosting services and app stores.
"Mandating the separation of Beijing-influenced entities from TikTok would align with established constitutional principles," McConnell asserted.
However, critics of the bill have raised concerns about its constitutionality, questioning the government's singling out of a specific company. Additionally, opponents argue that the legislation could infringe upon Americans' freedom of speech by depriving them of a platform they utilize for self-expression.
The Senate's consideration of the bill, which often moves at a slower pace than the House, is currently uncertain. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat from New York, has not yet committed to bringing it up for a vote, despite listing TikTok legislation as a top priority in a recent letter to Democrats.
Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell mentioned that Democrats on the panel were scheduled to meet on Monday night to discuss the next steps. Following a classified briefing from national security officials last month, Cantwell expressed the possibility of holding a hearing on the issue. She also hinted that the House bill might undergo revisions or be abandoned.
"We'll devise a plan on how to move forward after that," stated the Washington Democrat on Monday.
Cantwell also revealed that committee members would be meeting this week with Schumer and Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, who leads the Senate Intelligence Committee and has shown support for the House bill.
