FAMILY MATTERS: An online child-safety bill that Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) wrote has a special carve-out for video games at the same time that his brother Jacob Schatz is the general counsel and corporate secretary at top video game maker Electronic Arts, Daniel reports. — The Senate Commerce Committee is marking up the Kids Off Social Media Act on Thursday. His bill would prohibit children younger than 13 from creating or having social media accounts and also ban social media platforms from recommending algorithm-driven content to users younger than 17. — Similar bills like the Kids Online Safety Act and an updated Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act do not include carve-outs for gamers. There have been instances of children being sexually exploited by strangers whom they met virtually while playing video games. — “The Kids Off Social Media Act is quite literally about social media – it’s in the name,” Schatz spokesperson Mike Inacay told PI in a statement. “No one should be surprised that this bill doesn’t cover anything outside of that, including streaming services like Netflix and Spotify, text messaging, video games, video conferencing like Zoom, and news websites, among others. Kids across America are facing dire mental health consequences from social media use, and it’s time Congress stop nibbling around the edges and do something about it.” — Jacob Schatz, who has worked at EA since 1999, didn’t respond to a request for comment. Lobbying records indicate that EA did not engage on this bill, and a spokesperson declined to comment. U.S. TRAVEL ADDS HILL STAFFER: Ryan Propis has joined the U.S. Travel Association as vice president of security and facilitation. Propis has spent the past 11 years in the public sector, most recently serving as deputy staff director and general counsel for Republicans on the House Homeland Security Committee, with a three-year stint at TSA, where he eventually moved up to become chief of staff to TSA Administrator David Pekoske. ICYMI — GALLAGHER’S NEXT MOVE: Former House China Chair Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) won’t be joining Palantir for his first post-congressional stop after all. Gallagher has joined TitletownTech, the venture capital firm launched by Microsoft and the Green Bay Packers, as a senior strategic adviser, Jeff Bollier and Lawrence Andrea of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel report. — “The firm on Monday cited Gallagher's experience in national security and technology policy in announcing the move. TitletownTech focuses its investments in areas ranging from manufacturing, construction and supply chain issues to digital health, agriculture and entertainment.” — “‘His leadership in Congress and deep knowledge of technology and security will be crucial as we continue to back transformative companies in various sectors,’ TitletownTech Managing Partner Craig Dickman said in a statement.” — “The firm has raised $95 million to invest in early stage startups with high-growth potential. Gallagher will help TitletownTech and the startups it invests in better understand public policy and global markets. Gallagher in a statement said he would contribute to TitletownTech's goal of ‘transforming Wisconsin into a hub of technological innovation.’” PROBING THE TRUMP-OIL RELATIONSHIP: “House Democrats are launching an investigation into Donald Trump’s meeting with oil executives last month at his Mar-a-Lago Club, where the former president asked the executives to steer $1 billion to his 2024 campaign and promised to reverse dozens of President Biden’s environmental policies,” The Washington Post’s Maxine Joselow reports. — “In letters sent Monday evening, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee asked nine oil executives to provide detailed information on their companies’ participation in the meeting. The Democrats voiced concern that Trump’s request at the dinner may have been a quid pro quo and may have violated campaign finance laws, although experts say his conduct probably did not cross the threshold of being illegal.” — “Lawmakers sent the letters to the CEOs of Cheniere Energy, Chesapeake Energy, Chevron, Continental Resources, EQT Corporation, ExxonMobil, Occidental Petroleum and Venture Global. They also fired off a missive to the head of the American Petroleum Institute, the oil industry’s top lobbying arm in Washington.” — In addition to details about the industry leaders’ dinner with Trump, Democrats on the committee also “asked the executives to provide a copy of any draft executive orders or policy paperwork that their companies have prepared for Trump or his campaign,” following POLITICO’S reporting that the industry had drawn up such materials for Trump to sign if he won reelection. FLYING IN: The Alliance for Chemical Distribution is kicking off its fly-in tomorrow, bringing more than 80 members to discuss legislative and regulatory issues facing the chemical distribution industry. Members of the trade group will call for the retroactive renewal of the Generalized System of Preferences and Miscellaneous Tariff Bill trade programs and the reversal of an EPA rule and the superfund excise tax and push for stability in ocean and rail shipping. — The resort industry is flying in this week as well. American Hotel and Lodging Association members including The Broadmoor, Sea Island, Old Edwards Inn and more checked in yesterday to push for the expansion of the H-2B nonimmigrant worker visa program and bills to create an industry standard for the disclosure of so-called junk fees. — Attendees are slated to meet with members and staff in the offices of Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), and Reps. Ed Case (D-Hawaii), Tom Cole (R-Okla.), Lou Correa (D-Calif.), Anthony D’Esposito (R-N.Y.) and more.
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