Political Quotes

“I thank my colleague, while he is still here on the floor, for his diligence and his work and his partnership as we have worked on the Kids Online Safety Act. Indeed, he has put many hours, as his team has also put many hours, into this. As we get ready to move forward with passage, I think we have to remember that it was 1998 the last time this body took up and passed a bill that became law that protected children in the virtual space. And a lot has changed since then. We have seen the emergence of social media. We have seen 100 million Americans born during that period of time. So thinking about these platforms and that emergence, when you think about Facebook and Instagram and Snapchat and TikTok and online video games, those interactive games that are pulling kids into those, you think about how social media has changed the lives and the exposure of children today. They have grown up in this. And, as Senator Blumenthal said, Mr. President, it is so important to note that there are laws that protect children from buying alcohol, buying tobacco, buying pornography, being taken to a strip show. We, as a society, have decided kids can't drive until they are 16 years old and they can't vote until they are 18 years old. But when you look at the social media platforms, there are no guardrails, and children are constantly exposed--constantly exposed--to content that encourages self-harm.…”