President Joe Biden said Friday that he would sign legislation being advanced in the House designed to sever China’s influence over TikTok, the latest evidence of the bill’s momentum.
Biden confirmed his support for Rep. Mike Gallagher’s (R-WI) Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, a bill that would make it unlawful for app stores to host social media applications owned by companies connected to “foreign adversaries,” such as China, Russia, or Iran. It would force TikTok to completely divest from its China-based parent company ByteDance or risk being banned in the U.S. The House Energy and Commerce Committee voted unanimously on Thursday to approve the bill on Thursday, marking a significant step for the legislation.
“If they pass it, I’ll sign it,” Biden told reporters at Andrews Air Force Base while boarding Air Force One.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) affirmed his support for the bill on Thursday, and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) said that the lower chamber would vote on the measure next week. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has not stated his views of Gallagher’s bill, although he urged the U.S. intelligence community to investigate TikTok over “national security risks” in 2019 and appeared to hold a skeptical view of the platform.
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Biden’s stance contrasts with that of his political rival, former President Donald Trump. “If you get rid of TikTok, Facebook and Zuckerschmuck will double their business,” Trump said on Truth Social Thursday night. “I don’t want Facebook, who cheated in the last Election, to do better. They are a true Enemy of the People!” Trump’s remarks appear to be aimed at Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who Trump and many Republicans see as having played a role in Trump’s loss in 2020.
Biden has embraced TikTok as a political tool. His reelection campaign began using the platform in January to promote him and to reach out to younger voters.
