The United States Senate approved this Tuesday (23) an extensive bill that includes a military aid package worth US$95 billion for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan and legislation that could ban TikTok on national territory, if the application does not separate itself from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance.
The bill was approved by 79 votes in favor and 18 against. It now heads to President Joe Biden for sanction.
According to information from the agency Associated Press (AP), Biden is expected to immediately sanction the package and also begin the process of sending new weapons to Ukraine.
Ukrainians, who are facing Russian invasion, are expected to benefit from US$61 billion from the military aid package. Around US$26 billion will be sent to Israel, which is currently fighting the terrorist group Hamas and civilians in conflict zones around the world, and US$8 billion will be sent to Taiwan, which is facing threats and harassment from the China’s communist regime, which aims to annex the island to its territory, and other American allies in the Indo-Pacific.
“I will sign this bill and address the American people as soon as it hits my desk tomorrow (Wednesday 24) so we can start sending weapons and equipment to Ukraine this week,” Biden said in a announced this Tuesday.
“This critical legislation will make our nation and the world safer as we support our friends who are defending themselves against terrorists like Hamas and tyrants like Putin,” the Democrat added.
The law approved on TikTok says that the application must have a period of nine months to separate itself from its Chinese parent company. This period may be extended by the US president to one year.
If this determination is not met, TikTok should be banned in the US, which has already expressed concerns about ByteDance’s connection with the Chinese regime.
According to NBC Newsthe app said it “will fight the law in court as soon as it is signed into law” by Biden.