Political Quotes

“Mr. President, there can be no doubt that this country is experiencing a youth mental health crisis. I also agree with the Surgeon General and other experts that social media plays a part in that crisis. However, I recognize social media is also an important forum for expression, learning, and communications that can serve as a lifeline for young people, especially those from marginalized or vulnerable communities. Therefore, I cannot agree with an absolute ban of minors under 13 from social media. With meaningful tools to enable parental consent, strong privacy rules, and reasonable regulations against manipulative or harmful designs, I believe young minors can safely access social media. This is where the Senate should focus its time. I also worry about the bill's new inclusion of the Eyes on the Board Act of 2024. This bill could make it hard for teachers to incorporate social media applications into their teaching or preparation. It would also limit the ability of young people who depend on school-issued laptops and mobile internet connections from accessing educational videos and other informational content on social media when not in school. This raises serious equity concerns and would worsen the country's digital divide. For these reasons, I will object to any unanimous consent agreement to take up or pass the Kids Off Social Media Act of 2024. ____________________”