A bipartisan bill championed by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) aimed at protecting Americans from AI-generated deepfake pornography has stalled in the House, despite unanimous Senate passage and support from rival Republicans.
The DEFIANCE Act — short for Disrupt Explicit Forged Images and Non-Consensual Edits Act — would create a federal civil cause of action allowing victims of nonconsensual, sexually explicit deepfake images to sue the people who create or distribute them.
AOC introduced the legislation last year, and the Senate passed it by unanimous consent in January.
Ocasio-Cortez led the effort in the House. In the Senate, the bill’s Republican co-lead was Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who died earlier this month. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) credited Graham on the floor at the time for helping secure bipartisan support for the measure.
Following Graham’s death, Ocasio-Cortez publicly credited him and Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) for their role in advancing the bill, calling Graham “instrumental” in getting it through the Senate.
The House version of the legislation, which mirrors the Senate-passed bill, has not moved past the House Judiciary Committee, chaired by Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH). No formal reason has been given for the delay.
The stall comes days after a new poll showed Ocasio-Cortez gaining ground as a potential 2028 Democratic presidential contender. Some reports have suggested Republican reluctance to advance the bill may be tied to concerns about handing Ocasio-Cortez a bipartisan legislative win ahead of a possible presidential run, though this has not been officially confirmed by GOP leadership.
Politico reported last Thursday that some Republicans worry passing AOC’s legislation could hand the New York congresswoman a political victory as she emerges as a potential 2028 presidential contender.
“It’s a shame that this bill isn’t law because they are unwilling to give AOC a win,” one person working on the bill told the outlet.
“When you look at it, everything is aligned for it to pass, except that they don’t want her to have this.”
“We’re depriving many, many people of the ability to set their lives right just to prevent one member of Congress from being able to pass a bill,” another person said, according to Politico.
The legislation has drawn support beyond Capitol Hill. Actress and businesswoman Paris Hilton has publicly backed the DEFIANCE Act, and the bill has been described as drawing support from figures across the political spectrum, including conservative Republicans.
Earlier this year, President Donald Trump signed the bipartisan TAKE IT DOWN Act, championed by first lady Melania Trump, into law. The measure criminalizes the non-consensual online distribution of intimate images, including AI-generated deepfakes.
The AOC-championed bill’s fate now rests with the House Judiciary Committee. Without action there, the legislation cannot reach the House floor for a vote, despite its unanimous passage in the Senate earlier this year.