On the one side are dozens of lawmakers issuing dire warnings about security breaches and possible Chinese surveillance. On the other are some 150 million TikTok users in the U.S. who just want to be able to keep making and watching short, fun videos.
More than two dozen Democratic members of Congress who are active on TikTok are now facing questions about whether they'll continue to use it. Many are defending their presence on the platform, saying they have a responsibility as public officials to meet voters they wouldn't otherwise reach.
Under pressure from the U.S. government, TikTok is now facing the music with the possibility of a nationwide ban if it defies a government order to sell to an American company — unless the popular social media app can convince a high-powered panel that its data security restructuring plan sufficiently guards against national security concerns.
When Rep. Kevin McCarthy emerged from the messy 15-ballot election in January to become House speaker, he said he was emboldened by the fight. But as the embattled Republican leader from California rounds the first 100 days at the helm of a slim House Republican majority, there are challenges ahead.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen says there are “no good options” for the United States to avoid an economic “calamity” if Congress fails to raise the nation’s $31 trillion-plus borrowing limit in the coming weeks.
