McConnell Ties COVID Relief Vote to Section 230 Repeal

McConnell Ties COVID Relief Vote to Section 230 Repeal

WASHINGTON — Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) derailed today any attempts to reach agreement on a one-time, $2,000 COVID-relief check for most Americans unless the bill also included the repeal or reform of Section 230, the so-called “First Amendment of the internet” that digital rights activists consider the basis of online free speech.

McConnell made a floor statement listing a number of unrelated policy measures (in Congress parlance, “pork”) that he insisted be attached to the stimulus check bill.

Section 230 of the 1934 Telecommunications Act was added in 1996 to solve the “moderator’s dilemma” of early internet services and platforms. It encourages companies to moderate user-generated and uploaded content, while shielding them from costly liability in case illegal content is not detected by moderators.

Two days ago, Donald Trump signed a $900 billion relief bill that would ensure a $600 check to most Americans, but he also asked Congress to hold further hearings to raise the amount to $2,000.

A Priority for Trump

While most Republican leaders have shifted their position to now approve of the $2,000 check, McConnell prevented a vote today on that measure and insisted that it only be discussed in the context of ending or limiting Section 230 protections.

As XBIZ has extensively reported, repealing Section 230 would radically impact every platform relying on third-party content, including all adult platforms built on that model, such as tube sites like Pornhub and fan sites like OnlyFans.

By way of explanation, McConnell insisted he was doing Trump’s bidding. “During this process, the president highlighted three additional issues of national significance he would like to see Congress tackle together,” McConnell stated. “This week, the Senate will begin a process to bring these three priorities into focus.”

One of those Trump priorities tied to a potential stimulus check is election fraud, which the President claims is responsible for his loss in November. President Trump and most Republican leaders have refused to acknowledge Joe Biden’s victory in the November 4 presidential election as legitimate.

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

X3 Expo Unveils 2026 All-Stars, Show Dates Set for Jan. 16-17

X3 Expo returns to the historic Hollywood Palladium on January 16–17, bringing together fans, creators and industry insiders for North America’s largest assembly of adult entertainment stars, alongside a dazzling lineup of attractions spotlighting the cutting edge of modern media and pleasure tech.

Trump Administration Issues Executive Order Against 'Debanking'

The White House on Thursday issued an executive order limiting financial institutions’ ability to restrict access to financial services for people or groups involved in lawful industries, a longtime goal of adult industry advocates and stakeholders.

Go.cam Launches Free Age Verification Solution, Anti-Fraud Features

Go.cam has announced that its age verification solution is now free with updated anti-fraud and identity protection features.

Florida AG Sues EU-Based Adult Companies for Failing to Age-Verify Users

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier filed a lawsuit Monday with the 12th Judicial Circuit Court of Florida against five EU-based adult companies for allegedly failing to require age verification before allowing access to adult content.

SkyPrivate Launches 'Telegram Pay-Per-Minute' Feature

SkyPrivate has launched a new pay-per-minute (PPM) private show option on Telegram.

Pineapple Support to Host 'Money and Mental Health' Online Event

Pineapple Support is hosting a free, online event to help performers balance financial wellbeing with mental health, Aug. 18-19.

Arcom Warns 5 Adult Sites Over Age Verification

French media regulator Arcom has sent enforcement notices to the operators of five adult websites that the agency says have failed to implement age verification as required under France’s Security and Regulation of the Digital Space (SREN) law.

MojoHost Debuts NVIDIA Blackwell-Powered Hosting

MojoHost has announced the launch of NVIDIA Blackwell-powered hosting featuring RTX 6000 Pro MaxQ GPUs.

FSC: Identity Theft Targeting Adult Performers

The Free Speech Coalition has put out an alert warning of an individual found to be targeting adult performers for identity theft.

Assylum.com Implements New Age Verification System

Assylum.com has introduced an age verification system across its member sites.

Show More