The U.S. House of Representatives passes a bill banning TikTok, aiming for quick legislation by packaging it with a 15 trillion yen foreign aid package

On April 20, 2024, the US House of Representatives passed a comprehensive bill that includes four bills, including aid measures for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, and a regulatory bill also known as the 'de facto TikTok ban law.' The bill is expected to pass the Senate on the 23rd and be signed by the President promptly. While some have welcomed the swift response, others have expressed concerns about the hasty deliberation.

House passes Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan aid, potential TikTok ban

On April 20, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a $95 billion bill that requires ByteDance, the Chinese company that operates the popular social networking app TikTok, to sell its U.S. TikTok business.

The package of legislation consists of four bills, including three foreign aid packages and one regulatory bill. The first of these, a $60.8 billion aid package to help Ukraine in its war against Russia, passed by a vote of 311 to 112.

The second was a $26.4 billion bill to provide aid to Israel and humanitarian assistance to the Gaza Strip, which passed by a vote of 366 to 58. The third was a $8.1 billion bill to provide aid to Indo-Pacific allies, including Taiwan, which passed by a vote of 385 to 34.

The fourth bill, which approved tougher sanctions against Russia, China, and Iran, was passed by a vote of 360 to 58. The bill also includes a provision ordering ByteDance to sell TikTok, and banning TikTok in the United States if it does not comply.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, in a statement after the bill passed the House, said both sides agreed to bring the bill to a vote in the Senate on the 23rd.

In a statement, President Joe Biden expressed his gratitude to House Speaker Mike Johnson and others who led the passage of the bill, and said, 'I urge the Senate to quickly send this package to my desk and sign it into law,' suggesting that if the TikTok regulation bill passes the Senate, it is likely to be enacted quickly.

Of the four bills, the Ukraine aid bill was the most contentious, with 311 votes in favor and 112 against, but it was pointed out that 'it is important that 112 Republicans voted against it and only 101 voted in favor.' Also, when it became clear that the bill was going to pass during the vote, several senators waved small Ukrainian flags, prompting Chairman Johnson to warn them that it was 'a breach of etiquette.'

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said, 'I am grateful to the U.S. House of Representatives, both parties, and Chairman Johnson personally for their decision to set history on the right track.' 'I hope the bill will be supported by the Senate and sent to President Biden's desk. Thank you, America.'

I am grateful to the United States House of Representatives, both parties, and personally Speaker Mike Johnson for the decision that keeps history on the right track.

Democracy and freedom will always have global significance and will never fail as long as America helps to…

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy (@ZelenskyyUa) April 20, 2024

Meanwhile, with the regulatory bill steadily moving towards passage, a TikTok spokesperson said, 'We are disappointed to see the U.S. House of Representatives once again attempting to force through a bill banning TikTok, under the cover of important foreign and humanitarian aid.'

Lawmakers who took part in the vote also criticized the fact that emergency support measures to respond to the rapidly changing international situation were being deliberated at the same time as a regulatory bill that raises concerns about its impact on freedom of speech.

Congressman Joaquin Castro, who previously voted against the TikTok ban when it was passed alone, said, 'We have seen how the Israeli government has used American weapons to indiscriminately kill people and force them into starvation, and it was all thanks to technologies like TikTok, Instagram and Facebook,' alluding to the role of social media in the public's understanding of the world situation.