The two lawmakers worked with X to release an updated version of the Kids Online Safety Act over the weekend after House Republican leadership was critical of the bill’s potential First Amendment infringement.

However, House GOP leadership has not yet signaled it would bring a House floor vote before Congress wraps up for the year.

“Led by X, the new changes made to the Kids Online Safety Act strengthen the bill while safeguarding free speech online and ensuring it is not used to stifle expression,” the senators said in a joint statement. “These changes should eliminate once and for all the false narrative that this bill would be weaponized by unelected bureaucrats to censor Americans.”

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“After working with the bill authors, I’m proud to share that we’ve made progress to further protect freedom of speech while maintaining safety for minors online,” Linda Yaccarino, the CEO of X, said.

In response, Musk said, “Protecting kids should always be priority #1.”

Musk is set to have a powerful perch in President-elect Donald Trump’s second administration as the co-chairman of the Department of Government Efficiency. His support for certain legislation may have some sway over Republicans eager to appease Trump.

Other high-profile conservatives have weighed in support of the new legislation, including Donald Trump Jr., who has growing influence over his father’s new administration.

“We can protect free speech and our kids at the same time from Big Tech. It’s time for House Republicans to pass the Kids Online Safety Act ASAP,” he wrote on X.

The Senate version of KOSA and the Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act both sailed through the upper chamber in a 91-3 vote at the end of July, but House GOP leadership criticized KOSA as violating free speech and First Amendment rights.

In October, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) told Punchbowl News, “I love the principle, but the details of that are very problematic.” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) has also signaled opposition against the legislation.

Although the Senate nearly passed the bill unanimously, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) came out vehemently against the latest version of the legislation after it was announced on Saturday.

“KOSA poses such a dire threat to our First Amendment rights that House and Senate leadership must not agree to add it at the last minute to larger pieces of legislation, like the Defense or government spending bills,” he wrote on X.

The updated version of KOSA would not allow the FTC or any state attorney general the ability to file lawsuits challenging content on social media websites, a change from the previous version of the bill.

The legislation largely focuses on requiring social media and tech companies to protect children and teenagers from dangerous content and addictive features.

It would also legally require a “duty of care” for companies to prevent and mitigate against the promotion of suicide, sexual exploitation, eating disorders, substance abuse, and advertisements for illegal products. Several mental health and children advocacy groups have supported the bill, along with the American Psychological Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

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Blackburn and Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), a champion of the House KOSA bill, are leading a press conference Tuesday morning, along with advocates, at the Capitol to pressure the House to pass KOSA.

“Congressman Bilirakis is optimistic that Elon Musk, Donald Trump Jr., and the CEO of X’s recent public statements in support of KOSA will help build the momentum that is needed to propel this critical legislation to protect children across the finish line this term,” spokeswoman Summer Blevins told the Washington Examiner. “The congressman is committed to continuing to work with all stakeholders to get this done.”

The House Energy and Commerce Committee advanced KOSA out of committee in September, but whether it will be added to the end-of-year spending bills remains to be seen.

Last month, the Institute of Family Studies was among the conservative groups that sent a letter to House leadership pushing for the passage of KOSA. The group is pleased by X’s support for the bill.

“It is encouraging to see that Yaccarino and Musk remain fully supportive of this measure. We applaud them for this courageous stance and hope their peers will step forward and do the same,” Michael Toscano, the executive director of the Institute for Family Studies, told the Washington Examiner.

If the House does take up KOSA and it passes, this would be the first time since 1998 that the federal government has enacted a law to protect children on the internet.

President Joe Biden has indicated support of the bill and would likely sign it into law, but whether Republicans are willing to hand the president a last-minute victory before leaving office is unclear.

“Every day that goes by without KOSA passing, more children are dying,” Blackburn said in a statement to the Washington Examiner. “The endorsement by free speech champions Elon Musk and Donald Trump Jr., along with the revised text, reflects the truth that this bill will protect kids online and protect freedom of speech. It’s time to stop playing politics and pass KOSA.”