McConnell implores Senate to take up TikTok divestment bill: ‘America’s greatest strategic rival’ | CPT PPP Coverage

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Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell pleaded with his colleagues to take up legislation that passed the lower chamber by an overwhelming margin in an attempt to coerce the Chinese-owned company ByteDance into divesting TikTok.

That legislation concerning the popular social media app cleared the House of Representatives with bipartisan support in a 352-65 vote on March 13 but has been stuck in limbo in the Senate ever since.

“America’s greatest strategic rival is threatening our security right here on U.S. soil,” McConnell, 82, declared from the Senate floor. “I’m speaking, of course, about TikTok.”

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has been tight-lipped about when and if the upper chamber will vote on the TikTok bill.

The legislation would force ByteDance to sell off TikTok within six months or face a ban from the Google and Apple app stores.

It also empowers the administration to restrict apps linked to four adversary nations: China, Iran, North Korea and Russia if government agencies agree on the threat and make evidence available to Congress.

TikTok has raged against the bill and even sent popup notifications to its users to encourage them to call their lawmakers in protest.

Last month, Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) revealed a harrowing death threat he received from one caller.

TikTok CEO Shou Chew has boasted about a $1.5 billion investment in so-called “Project Texas,” to transfer American data to domestic servers. He’s also insisted that the video-sharing platform “never provided” US data to the Chinese Communist Party.

But lawmakers and national security experts were largely unmoved. There are concerns that China could get its hands on browsing history, biometric identifiers, location data and more from US users.

That user data could theoretically feed its artificial intelligence aspirations. TikTok says it has roughly 170 million users.

“No matter how loudly TikTok’s apologists claim that reining in PRC influence violates the First Amendment, the question we’ll face is about conduct, not content,” McConnell said, touting his free speech beliefs.

“You can use a pen to write salacious anti-American propaganda, and the government can’t censor that content,” he added. “But if you use the same pen to pick a lock to steal someone else’s property, the government could prosecute you for illegal conduct.”

Ironically, one of the loudest foes of the TikTok bill is McConnell’s home state colleague, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.)

“The House ban of TikTok is not securing our nation—it’s a disturbing gift of unprecedented authority to President Biden and the Surveillance State that threatens the very core of American digital innovation and free expression,” Paul posted on X last month.

The Senate reconvened on Monday and the House is set to reconvene on Tuesday, when the upper chamber is expected to begin considering an impeachment trial for Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

Some Republicans have moaned that Schumer may move to table that trial, and thus, short-circuit it entirely.

Schumer has previously said that he hopes the Senate could work through its brisk itinerary and make progress “on a path forward on TikTok legislation.”

McConnell argued that it warrants “Congress’ urgent attention.”

President Biden has signaled his intent to sign the bill into law, should it arrive at his desk.