Arrr! 50 scurvy Democrats and 15 landlubber Republicans be sayin' 'no' to blockin' TikTok, aye! A pox on 'em!
2024-03-13
Arrr mateys! The scallywags in the House be passin' a bill to make them Chinese scoundrels give up Tiktok or face a ban! Aye, 352 of 'em be sayin' aye, while 65 be walkin' the plank! By Blackbeard's beard, what a jolly good time!
In a ruckus fit for the high seas, the House has passed a bill that aims to force the Chinese-owned company Bytedance to divest from the social media app TikTok. Led by Captain Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., and First Mate Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., the bill sailed through with a resounding 352-65 bipartisan vote. The Democratic crew was more divided than the Republicans, with only one scallywag abstaining from the vote. If signed into law, the bill would make TikTok walk the plank in the U.S. unless Bytedance hands it off to a non-U.S. adversary within 165 days. Only 15 Republican buccaneers opposed the bill, joined by 50 Democratic sailors who also voted against it.Meanwhile, a swashbuckling offer from Kevin O'Leary to buy TikTok and transform it into a 'New American Company' has added a twist to the tale. Those who voted against the bill include a motley crew of Democratic representatives, each with their own reasons for opposing it. Some fear the bill may jeopardize First Amendment rights or harm small businesses reliant on TikTok.As the House cannons roar, concerns about TikTok's potential national security risks and its ties to the Chinese government continue to dominate the conversation. Whether the Senate will hoist the sails and take up this controversial legislation remains uncertain in these turbulent political waters.