The Senate just passed a bill that included foreign aid for Ukraine and Israel and also a possible TikTok ban, two issues that President Joe Biden is expected to sign off on.
On Saturday (April 20), we shared that the House of Representatives had passed a series of bills including one that forces the sale or ban of TikTok and another that offers $95 billion in foreign aid for for Ukraine, Israel, and other U.S. allies.
At the time, ABC News reported that the U.S. House voted 360-58 on a bill forcing the sale of TikTok. The bipartisan vote marked the latest defeat for the app, which is currently owned by China-based company ByteDance. The bill recently passed by the House is said to closely resemble an earlier version approved in March that would ban TikTok from U.S. app stores unless the parent company sells to a new owner, and swiftly.
The latest TikTok bill gives the China-based company 270 days to find a new owner, which is more than the prior bill’s 6-month deadline. If the company does not sell by the deadline, the TikTok app will be banned in the U.S. It was also noted that the new bill also gives the White House an option to extend the new deadline with another 90 days if President Joe Biden believes TikTok has made any progress in finding a new owner.
As for the series of foreign aid bills passed on Saturday, it was reported that $60.8 billion was being requested for Ukraine, $26.4 billion for Israel, and $8 billion for Taiwan and other Indo-Pacific allies. The bill for Ukraine was passed by a vote of 311-112-1. The bill for Taiwan passed overwhelmingly in the House by a vote of 385-34-1, and the House passed the Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act by a vote of 366-58.
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Since the House’s decision on Saturday, the Senate has now also overwhelmingly passed the $95 billion in foreign aid and possible TikTok ban legislation. On Tuesday (April 23), NBC News reported that the Senate voted 79-18 on the 2-in-1 bill, with 15 Republicans and 3 Democrats voting against it. The foreign aid and TikTok 2-in-1 package has since been sent off to the White House, where President Biden is expected to sign it in the coming days.
On Tuesday evening, Biden said he would swiftly act upon signing the measure. He said, “I will sign this bill into law and address the American people as soon as it reaches my desk tomorrow so we can begin sending weapons and equipment to Ukraine this week. This critical legislation will make our nation and world more secure as we support our friends who are defending themselves against terrorists like Hamas and tyrants like Putin.”
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