WASHINGTON, Dec 18 (Reuters) - Top Senate Republican

Mitch McConnell on Wednesday urged the U.S. Supreme Court to

reject a bid by TikTok and its China-based parent company

ByteDance to block a law intended to force the sale of the

short-video app by Jan. 19 or face a ban on national security

grounds.

The court has scheduled arguments on the case for Jan. 10.

McConnell in a brief filed with the court called the

companies' arguments "meritless and unsound... This is a

standard litigation play at the end of one administration, with

a petitioner hoping that the next administration will provide a

stay of execution. This court should no more countenance it

coming from foreign adversaries than it does from hardened

criminals."

McConnell noted Congress set the Jan. 19 date that "very

clearly removes any possible political uncertainty in the

execution of the law by cabining it to an administration that

was deeply supportive of the bill's goals."

TikTok did not immediately comment. The company noted in

legal filings that

President-elect Donald

Trump has said he does not want TikTok banned.

The American Civil Liberties Union, Electronic Frontier

Foundation and Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia

University in a joint filing urged the court to block a ban of

TikTok "that millions use every day to communicate, learn about

the world, and express themselves."

The groups called the ban unprecedented, adding it "will

cause an extraordinary disruption in Americans' ability to

engage."

New downloads of TikTok on Apple ( AAPL ) or Google

app stores would be banned but existing users could

continue to access TikTok but services would degrade over time

and eventually stop working as companies will be barred from

providing support.

TikTok said in a court filing this week it estimates

one-third of the 170 million Americans using TikTok would stop

accessing the app if the ban lasts a month.