Biden v. Trump Rematch, Ukraine Aid, and TikTok Banned?
Welcome back to Politics Explained! This is the spot for non-partisan, concise weekly blogs on all things US Politics. This week, we’re covering the TikTok ban, a rematch of the 2020 election, and the money that the White House is sending to Ukraine. To stay updated throughout the week, be sure to check out our instagram, @PoliticsExplained1776. Without further ado, let's get started !!
This past Wednesday (3/13), the House of Representatives passed a bill that would force Chinese company ByteDance to sell the ultra-popular social media app TikTok, or else it would be banned from the United States. This comes after months of discussion over the national threat that TikTok poses, as many worry it is being used as a spying tool for China, and could also affect the 2024 elections. The vote in the House was 352-65, showing a strong bipartisan unity against this issue. However, the next step for this bill is to pass the Senate, and that path is uncertain. There have already been Senators vowing to fight against it, and majority leader Chuck Schumer hasn’t been clear on whether or not he will bring it to a vote. Stay tuned for more updates on this!
With President Biden and Donald Trump coming out of this week with primary victories in multiple states, they have both secured the party nominations for Presidential nominees. This sets up a rematch of the 2020 election, a battle that is sure to be drawn out and full of drama. Things to follow in the buildup to this election include the side that minority groups start to lean towards, Trump’s court cases, and the rally’s and campaign efforts that both of these candidates will put into action.
Finally, on Tuesday (3/12), the White House announced that they plan to send a $300 million war aid package to Ukraine, consisting of weapons. This is the first aid sent to Ukraine in months after challenges with Republican lawmakers in Congress who continue to push for improved border security. The money comes from Pentagon contract savings, and officials say it won’t sustain Ukrainian forces for very long. There must be different ways to give aid to Ukraine as this method of funding is not sustainable and the war continues to go on. Again, the challenge seems to be House Republican hardliners* who demand more action on the mass immigration over our southern border, wanting to protect our land first before helping others. Be sure to stick around for next week’s blog to stay in the loop!
Definition of the Week (hardliners): a member of a group, typically a political group, who strongly sticks to a set of ideas or policies.
