TikTok fans may have something to dance about.
Bipartisan legislation that cleared the House on Wednesday, which would force the wildly popular short-form video app to divest from Chinese parent company ByteDance or face a U.S. ban, is going nowhere fast in the Senate.
Despite passing the House in a resounding 352-65 vote, senators from both parties on Thursday sounded alarms that the measure threatened First Amendment rights.
“I have concerns about TikTok, but I also have concerns about banning stuff,” said Sen. Jon Tester, Montana Democrat. “I don’t necessarily think that’s the right way to go.”
Sen. Rand Paul, Kentucky Republican, said forcing TikTok to sell its U.S. operation over allegations of spying and manipulation of Americans by the Chinese government is a “lack of due process.”
“There’s a strong constitutional argument for saying you can’t ban things for its content,” he said. “You can’t just take their company from them just because you don’t like them based on an accusation.”
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With support for the bill in doubt, senators are eyeing a drawn-out committee process to rework the bill. The next move, however, is still up in the air.
Meanwhile, entrepreneurs including “Shark Tank” star Kevin O’Leary and former Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin have expressed interest in buying TikTok, an advertising juggernaut with more than 170 million users.
Speaking on CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” Mr. Mnuchin said he understands the technology behind TikTok and that “it’s a great business.”
Mr. O’Leary made his pitch on Fox News: “I’ll guarantee it becomes safe for the users, the parents, small business and large business. … It’ll be an American company.”
Democrats are also wary of turning off young voters who rely on TikTok for news and entertainment and could turn against President Biden’s reelection.
Supporters of the bill are pressuring Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer to quickly put it to a vote as Mr. Biden has vowed to sign it into law.
Mr. Schumer, New York Democrat, has said only that the chamber “will review the legislation when it comes over from the House.”
That’s not good enough for supporters like Sen. John Fetterman, Pennsylvania Democrat. “I want to see that s—- on the [floor] to vote,” he said.
Mr. Fetterman said he agreed to meet with Singaporean businessman Shou Zi Chew, who is the CEO of TikTok and is personally lobbying Congress against the bill.
“He wanted a meeting, and I’m going to ask him, ‘Do you think getting in [our] face and all this other stuff is helping,’” the senator told The Washington Times.
Mr. Chew insisted before entering Mr. Fetterman’s office that his trip to Washington was “preplanned” before the House passed the bill.
“There’s a lot of noise, but I haven’t heard exactly what we’ve done is wrong,” Mr. Chew told reporters. “This is a ban on our app in this country. It’s going to impact 170 million Americans who use our app, it’s going to impact 7 million small businesses, and I hope their voices are heard.”
• Ramsey Touchberry can be reached at rtouchberry@washingtontimes.com.
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