AOC’s deepfake AI porn bill sailed through the Senate. She fears House Republicans will let it die to spite her

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Lindsey Graham did not agree on much before the South Carolina Republican died suddenly.

But earlier this year, Graham helped usher a bill known as the DEFIANCE Act, which the progressive New York Democrat sponsored in the House, through the Senate via unanimous consent. The bill, which AOC co-sponsored with Republican Rep. Laurel Lee of Florida, would allow victims of nonconsensual deepfake AI pornography to file civil lawsuits against people who produce, distribute and solicit that type of pornography, as well as those who intend to distribute such images.

It sailed through the Senate with zero objection. But while it enjoys the support of House Speaker Mike Johnson as well as right-wing firebrands like Reps. Nancy Mace (R-S.

C.) and Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) as well as progressive Democrats like Reps.

Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) — somehow the bill is languishing in the House of Representatives.

“There's been some reporting recently that some of the block around this may literally just be because my name is attached to it,” Ocasio-Cortez told The Independent on Capitol Hill Thursday. “And I don't think that we should be emboldening child pornographers and helping abusers just because of some personal beef that they may have.” open image in galleryRep.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Paris Hilton joined forces for a bipartisan press conference in support of the DEFIANCE Act, which proposes that legal recourse be provided for victims of nonconsensual deepfake pornography. (Getty)“I gladly celebrate and welcome Josh Hawley's support on this,” Ocasio-Cortez said of the Missouri Republican senator who supported the bill. “Before his passing, Lindsey Graham's was a champion on DEFIANCE as well, and I think that we should be able to put these, you know, personnel things aside in order to help women, children, and people of all genders.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson came out in favor of the legislation to The Independent earlier this year. In January, Ocasio-Cortez and a bipartisan group of co-sponsors joined Paris Hilton to lobby for the bill’s passage. But so far, it is stalled in the House.

It has not so much as come up for a vote in the Judiciary Committee. Politico reported on Thursday that some Republicans do not want to pass the legislation because AOC is the main sponsor and if it passes, that would be a big win for the progressive Democrat ahead of the midterm elections.Ocasio-Cortez, a self-described democratic socialist has long been depicted in negative campaign ads by Republicans in an effort to depict Democrats as socialists and lately, as communists.

But Ocasio-Cortez’s star continues to rise. Some expect her to either run for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s seat in 2028 — either in an open primary or in an active challenge to Schumer — or to run for president. A University of New Hampshire poll also showed her in the lead in a potential presidential primary in the Granite State.

open image in galleryOcasio-Cortez, has worked with Republicans like Rep. Laurel Lee of Florida (L) and Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.

C.) to pass the DEFIANCE Act in the House. But it has stalled so far.

(AFP/Getty)Numerous female politicians, including Ocasio-Cortez and Mace, have been subjected to deepfake AI porn images and videos. The New York congresswoman has said the publication of the images are an attempt to silence women.“What this issue is about is not just the personal attacks of women in positions of power,” AOC said.

“What these abusers are trying to do is make an example of women who are in the public eye in order to discourage women everywhere from standing in their own light, and that also goes again. It's not just for women, but it's for anyone who becomes a victim to this kind of abuse.” There has been some progress made on reining in deepfake AI pornography.

Early in Donald Trump’s presidency, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) passed the TAKE IT DOWN Act, which prohibits the publication of authentic and AI-generated sexual images published without a person’s consent.

It also requires online platforms to remove depictions within 48 hours of notification. Ocasio-Cortez praised those efforts, but also said they did not go far enough. open image in galleryThe late Sen.

Lindsey Graham was a supporter of AOC’s DEFIANCE Act. (AFP/Getty)“TAKE IT DOWN while it imposes some penalties, victims still have no right to advocate for themselves legally,” Ocasio-Cortez told The Independent. “Victims have no right right now to be able to go after the perpetrators of non-consensual pornography.

Some Republicans have taken up AI deepfake pornography as a political issue. Chief among them is first lady Melania Trump, who championed the passage of the TAKE IT DOWN Act. Ocasio-Cortez has said she has been in direct contact with the first lady about the legislation, but she would “absolutely welcome” her advocacy.

“She has absolutely been a champion on th