A Big Tech Bill Senator Schumer Won't be able to Block
For three years, Democrat Senator Chuck Schumer's U.S. Senate has been the legislative body where Big Tech bills have gone to die. In March, the US House passed a TikTok bill by a vote of 352 to 65. It went no where in the U.S. Senate.
But this time, US House Speaker Mike Johnson included the TikTok "bill" in H.R.8038 - 21st Century Peace through Strength Act as part of the foreign aid package, H. Res 1160, that passed the US House on Friday by a vote of 316 to 94. H.R. 8038 passed the US House by a vote of 249 to 167.
The revised U.S. House TikTok "bill" changed the time frame for TikTok to divest from ByteDance from six months to nine months, with an option for the President to extend the divestiture three more months if progress has been made on a sale. The President who would make that decision would be dictated by who wins the November election.
The security and privacy issues related to a TikTok app in the United States have been discussed in great detail in the media. In addition to the these issues, social media concerns as it relates to children have also been well documented.
Alabama Democrat US House Representative Terri Sewell voted for the March TikTok bill, as did all Alabama Republican US House members except Barry Moore, who cast the lone no vote. All voted the same on H. Res 1160 and H.R. 8038 this past week.
It appears that the clock has run out on Senator Schumer as he will not be able to block this Big Tech bill.