Senate Commerce Committee Chair Ted Cruz (R-TX) made an unannounced appearance at a Capitol Hill rally on Tuesday, joining a bipartisan group of lawmakers and bereaved parents to guarantee that the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) will reach the President’s desk before the year concludes.
The Mother’s Day-themed event brought together Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) alongside advocates from ParentsSOS. The group is pushing for the passage of S.1748, a bill designed to force social media platforms to overhaul designs that contribute to minor exploitation, addiction, and mental health crises.
“We passed KOSA in the last Congress out of the Senate, we’re going to pass it out of the Commerce Committee, we’re going to pass it in the Senate [again], and we are going to work hand-in-hand [with House leadership] to get it passed through the House and get it put on the President’s desk and get it signed into law this year,” Cruz told the crowd.
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The legislation, which was reintroduced in May 2025 after a 91-3 Senate vote in the previous session, currently boasts 76 cosponsors. It aims to create a “duty of care” for tech companies, requiring them to prevent their products from exacerbating issues like eating disorders and suicidal ideation.
Senator Blackburn emphasized that recent legal battles in the West are only half the solution. “The landmark social media verdicts in California and New Mexico have reminded our nation of one thing: Courts can punish past harms, but it is up to Congress to prevent future ones,” Blackburn said. “It’s time for Congress to choose the American people over Big Tech’s bottom line.”
The rally featured emotional testimony from mothers who lost children to online harms. Cheryl Brown, mother of 17-year-old McKenna Brown, argued that the bill is a necessary intervention against toxic digital environments. “While we can never get back what was taken from our families, we can ensure no other mother has to face an empty chair at the dinner table this Mother’s Day because a social media platform prioritized engagement over a child’s life,” Brown said.
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Senator Blumenthal praised the parents for their persistence, noting that their “courage and grace” should serve as the primary catalyst for legislative action. Supporters also received a high-profile boost from actress Eva Mendes, who urged her Instagram followers to stand in solidarity with the bereaved families and demand comprehensive protection for children.
As part of the week’s advocacy efforts, an online “Mother’s Day card” supporting the bill has already collected nearly 2,000 signatures.
Carrie Baeten, whose 18-year-old son Jack McDonough died due to online harms, made it clear that the group is looking for results rather than gestures.
“Flowers and cards are a kind gesture, but for those of us who have lost children to online harms, the only gift that matters is the safety of the children still here,” she said.
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