August 5, 2026
For Immediate Release
Democrats Unanimously Block Bill Protecting Children from Adult Websites
The SCREEN Act would require adult websites to verify the age of their users to protect minors from harmful content
Washington, D.C. – Senate Democrats on the Commerce Committee unanimously voted down a bill that would have protected children from accessing online pornography on Wednesday.
The SCREEN Act, which would require adult websites to implement age verification measures, failed to advance through committee after a 15-13 vote that included several senators voting by proxy. The majority, however, was not enough to advance the bill due to Senate rules requiring lawmakers to be physically present to advance bills through committee.
The push for age verification for adult websites has gained tremendous momentum in recent weeks. 27 states have adopted age verification laws, and the House recently passed its version of the SCREEN Act in March as part of the bipartisan KIDS Act package. Nevertheless, this is a huge blow to families across the country who were hoping Congress would take decisive action to protect American children from harmful content online.
APP’s Terry Schilling released the following statement:
“The porn industry is preying on America’s children for profit, and now it is doing it with the support of Democrat lawmakers. The 13 Senate Democrats who voted against the SCREEN Act today made it perfectly clear: they would rather stand with Big Porn than American parents and children.
“APP has been at the forefront of this battle for almost a decade, and I want to make one thing clear: we will not back down until families across America are protected from the porn industry and the lawmakers who defend it. The Democrats have a choice. They can join the effort to protect kids online, or they can face the political consequences of standing with the porn companies. Today, 13 of them chose poorly.”
A recent Cygnal poll found that 81 percent of Americans supported age verification for adult websites.
About the American Principles Project
The American Principles Project is a national pro-family organization dedicated to making the family the most powerful, respected, and well-represented voice in Washington, D.C. Founded in 2009, APP fights in the political arena to defend life, childhood innocence, and American values.
For more information, visit americanprinciplesproject.org.
Media Contact: Josiah Davidson
Media Associate, American Principles Project
media@americanprinciplesproject.org
