"Does Congress still see itself as an independent branch of government?"

Yes, when a D is in the WH. Checks and balances for thee, but not for me. It's not just for this tik-tok issue, but many others.

What should be a one of the biggest stories--or headlines--is that the Constitutional system built by the Founding Fathers has completely failed--largely because the Congress is failing to fulfill their oath to protect and defend the Constitution. I'm guessing it's so obvious to journalists and news junkies and has been going on so long that they're jaded. But I don't think story is really reaching the more casual news consumers.