On the recordJuly 11, 2024
Mr. President, I come here today to speak on the continued bipartisan efforts to protect our kids from the risks of social media and other online platforms. Three weeks ago, I spoke here on the floor with my good friend and colleague Senator Blumenthal about the need to get two bills done: The Kids Online Safety Act and the Children and Teens' Online Privacy Protection Act. Moving on KOSA and COPPA is a top priority of mine. I have listened to so many parents whose kids have been gravely harmed by social media. Some of these kids face bullying or were victims of exploitation and online predators or saw their mental health suffer. And in horrible stories that I have heard on many occasions, in too many instances, the kids took their own lives. Imagine, 13, 14, 15 years old, killing themselves because of what they saw online. And imagine the families who live with the hole in their heart for the rest of their lives. It is horrible. We shouldn't allow it to happen any longer. So getting these bills done is very important for the well-being of our kids, but it will require bipartisan cooperation to move forward, as so many things in the Senate do. As all know, there has been a lot of discussion about the best way to proceed. I said at the end of June I would give all objectors 2 weeks to offer solutions for addressing their concerns. Sadly, a few of our colleagues continue to block these bills without offering any constructive ideas for how to revise the text.…





