U.S. Senator Katie Britt, R-Alabama, joined U.S. Senator John Fetterman, D-Pennsylvania, last week for a discussion on topics including the ongoing war in Iran and bipartisan legislation aimed at curbing negative impacts of social media.
During a Friday appearance on an NBC News Common Ground Panel, hosted by Kristen Welker, Britt and Fetterman discussed the war, alongside youth social media use and their support for the bipartisan Stop the Scroll Act and additional proposed social media regulations.
The interview saw Fetterman and Britt, who met during freshman senator orientation in 2023, discuss their friendship, their collaborations as lawmakers, and their support for continued military involvement in the Middle East.
Both senators described their relationship as focused on improving bipartisan collaborations in the Senate.
“Our conversations, we have utilized to kind of try to spur something different in the Senate,” Britt said.
When asked their stance on another potential vote determining whether to limit U.S. President Donald Trump’s war powers in Iran, in anticipation of the upcoming 60th day of the war, both Britt and Fetterman pledged to vote again against limiting military engagements with the country.
The Senate failed last Wednesday for the fifth time to limit Trump’s war powers in Iran, with Fetterman again breaking party lines as the sole Democrat against the proposal.
During their discussion with Welker, both senators described the war as necessary to stop Iran from gaining nuclear capabilities.
Britt mirrored the White House’s messaging, which has argued that military operations have seen progress in advancing U.S. interests in the region.
“We’ve made significant progress. I mean, you’ve heard that from the president and from the White House. This should have been done 47 years ago,” Britt said of U.S. military engagements in Iran. “I believe we’ve got to finish the job. I know people are ready for us to conclude that, and I do believe that the White House is focused on making that happen.”
Britt went on to say she believes the White House will have significant news regarding the war’s progress in the coming week.
“I do think we will hear within the next week from the administration,” she said.
Fetterman, meanwhile, highlighted military operations in Libya under former U.S. President Barack Obama, arguing congressional opposition to U.S.-led attacks in the country did not see the same level of opposition from Democrats.
“I think at the time, I think that was entirely appropriate, but this is not brand new in the American experience,” Fetterman said.
The senator went on to respond to nations in the region that have voiced opposition to the U.S. entering its military conflict with Iran, saying, “If you consume oil, then it’s your war too. We all have a stake in that.”
The price of industry-standard Brent crude oil has risen nearly 50 percent higher than it was when the war began, due to Iran’s control of the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil supply passes during peacetime.
So far, the war in Iran and the resulting unrest have led to the deaths of at least 3,375 people in Iran and 2,496 in Lebanon. In addition, 13 U.S. service members in the region have been killed, alongside more than a dozen individuals in Gulf Arab states and six members of U.N. peacekeeping forces in Southern Lebanon.
Alongside topics such as the recent Artemis II mission to deep space, Britt and Fetterman also discussed and emphasized their support for multiple pieces of proposed social media regulation, including the Stop the Scroll Act.
The legislation received a positive report from the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation on April 14 and is awaiting a Senate vote.
The bill would require social media platforms to display a disclosure label each time a user accesses the platform, warning users of “the potential negative mental health impacts” of accessing the social media platform.
The warning would also be required to provide users access to federal resources “to address the potential negative mental health impacts,” including the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
Platforms may not provide the required disclosure solely through an external hyperlink or through a terms and conditions agreement. The bill would not allow the disclosure to be deactivated.
Britt described the legislation as an attempt to curb increases in youth depression rates seen over the last decade.
“John and I approached this along with a number of our colleagues, not as Democrats or Republicans, but as concerned parents,” Britt said. “I mean, we see what’s happening across our country when it comes to mental health, and we know the impact it’s having on our youth. And the more that we learn, the more we feel obligated to make sure that we’re protecting the next generation.”
“John and I thought, what are some simple things that we can do to help warn people, warn parents about those negative effects?” the senator added.
Britt went on to voice support for the Kids Off Social Media Act, bipartisan legislation that both she and Fetterman have cosponsored, which would bar children 13 years old and younger from establishing social media accounts.
Britt also shared her support for the Kids Online Safety Act, KOSA, and the Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act, COPPA 2.0.
KOSA is legislation that would require platforms to implement certain safety settings by default, provide parental control tools and take more steps to mitigate online bullying and exploitative content involving or aimed at minors. Platforms would also be required to disclose their use of algorithms and allow third-party audits to enhance platform safety.
COPPA 2.0 would expand protections established by the original 1998 Children and Teens Online Safety Act by banning advertising targeted to minors. The enacted version of the bill banned ads targeted at children 13 or younger.
COPPA 2.0 has passed the Senate and moved to the U.S. House of Representatives.
The bill would also mandate social media platforms to establish an “eraser button” to delete personal data collected by the platform.
“There’s a lot of good things out there, but the point is it’s time to do something,” Britt said. “Doing nothing, to me, is feckless and the next generation is paying the price.”
