Fifty years ago, my father served as the Republican minority leader in the deep-blue Massachusetts House of Representatives. But during his time in office, he managed to create jobs, protect reproductive rights and author a landmark environmental bill that protects Massachusetts wetlands to this day. (Did I mention he was Republican?)
That solutions-minded approach was my introduction to politics. Legislators prioritized governing: They looked out for problems, listened to constituents and worked together to write effective policies, even on contentious issues — and often with a good dose of humor.
If you’re imagining the scene I just described as a black-and-white film, I don’t blame you. But over the past two years, Congress has acted it out with the Kids Online Safety Act. It’s a strong bill designed to protect our kids. And as the chair of Issue One, a nonprofit that seeks to strengthen our democracy, it’s been heartening to see such an important bill shaped by the very best of our democratic traditions: deliberation, compromise and bipartisanship. Now, it’s time for legislators to pass it.
Creating sound laws about anything is complicated, but reining in Big Tech is a particular challenge, and not just because of the enormous amount of money the industry is spending on lobbying. New technologies pop up constantly, forcing legislators to balance free speech concerns with public safety. However, the authors of KOSA are doing the work for the nine out of 10 voters who want Congress to regulate social media and wrote a bill that was thoughtful from the start.