President Joe Biden is poised to sign a landmark bill on Wednesday, encompassing a substantial foreign aid package while also instituting a ban on TikTok in the United States if its China-based parent company, ByteDance, fails to divest its stake within a year.
The bill garnered overwhelming support in both chambers of Congress, passing the US Senate by a vote of 79-18 on Tuesday following approval by the House over the weekend.
TikTok, boasting over 170 million American users, refrained from immediate comment. However, Michael Beckerman, TikTok's head of public policy for the Americas, indicated the company's intention to contest the measure in court.
“The stage that the bill is signed, we will move to the courts for a legal challenge,”Beckerman informed TikTok's US staff in a memorandum.
Under the provisions of the bill, ByteDance has nine months to facilitate a sale, with the possibility of a 90-day extension.
In a statement from the White House, President Biden underscored the bipartisan backing in Congress, characterizing it as a response to "history's call at this critical inflection point."
"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," the President stated.
"The need is urgent: for Ukraine, facing unrelenting bombardment from Russia; for Israel, which just faced unprecedented attacks from Iran; for refugees and those impacted by conflicts and natural disasters around the world, including in Gaza, Sudan, and Haiti; and for our partners seeking security and stability in the Indo-Pacific," he elaborated.
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