It’s an election year and everyone needs their donations from their favorite lobbyists. And many politicians are also cowards, afraid of what making an actual decision to protect the United States would mean to their political careers.
I’m talking about the TikTok legislation that was passed by the House about a month ago that would ban the app if ByteDance doesn’t divest from TikTok.
The legislation is sitting on a shelf, collecting dust, while the aging senators ignore it.
National security is an afterthought.
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They obviously don’t seems to care about the grave national security threat that the app poses which they have heard about from FBI director Christopher Way and others. Who cares if one of the most popular apps in the United States is controlled by a foreign adversary? No biggie.
For Dems like Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and President Disaster, they don’t want to give it up – it’s how they reach the young voters. And pissing them off won’t get them many votes. What’s the harm, after all?
What will they do?
The senate’s response to the ByteDance bill will reveal whether American politicians are truly committed to addressing the dangers posed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) or if they are easily swayed by lobbyists and election concerns. But we probably already know the answer to THAT question.
ByteDance, aided by its American staff and hired guns, including former members of Congress, is gearing up for a battle in the Senate after suffering a resounding defeat in the House. Lobbyists are poised to try to disrupt the legislative process, hoping that the approaching campaign season will distract lawmakers from taking decisive action.
One of the key arguments advanced by ByteDance’s supporters is that the company, with some U.S. citizens on its board, operates benignly as a multinational corporation. Yeah, sure…
The CCP controls and app and everyone knows it.
However, insights from experts like Australian China expert John Garnaut reveal a different reality. ByteDance’s top management is intertwined with CCP-controlled entities, enabling Beijing’s influence over TikTok.
Despite ByteDance’s attempts to portray the House bill as a threat to free speech, its true intent is merely to enforce a sale of TikTok, given the company’s undeniable allegiance to Beijing.
And despite the urgent national security concerns highlighted by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, the Senate’s response remains tepid with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s reluctant to take a clear stance on the bill.
Dems running scared – don’t want to lose the youth vote in their elections.
While senators express concerns about legal complexities and propose alternative approaches, such as Senator Maria Cantwell’s GUARD Act, which sidesteps the divestment requirement, they fail to address the core issue of TikTok’s allegiance to a foreign adversary. Cantwell’s suggestion of multiple hearings further delays action on a matter of urgent national security.
The bipartisan pushback against Cantwell’s reluctance to advance the House-passed bill reflects some recognition of TikTok’s threat to national security. Senators like Josh Hawley and Mitt Romney rightly criticize the stalling tactics and call for swift action.
However, the influence of lobbyists, including former Cantwell staffers lobbying for TikTok, casts a shadow over the legislative process.
Despite the mounting pressure, there is optimism among some senators that a vote on forcing TikTok to divest will eventually happen. Eventually? When would that be? November 6th, the day after the election??
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