Joe Biden came to power just a little over 18 months ago.
Ever since, we’ve seen collusion between Big Tech and the feds like never before.
But Joe Biden was furious after Republicans began a push to end federal censorship.
Free speech is still under attack by the Biden administration
Censorship by governments isn’t a new thing at all.
Americans haven’t ever had to deal with it much until the past few years.
Along with the rise of online reporting and social media – you would think this freedom would expand.
But throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, federal agencies began infecting the public square.
House Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member, Cathy McMorris Rodgers warns, “[Biden’s] administration continues to pressure private companies to censor and manipulate the truth online. Big Tech platforms have become the modern town square, and any effort to erase people from these digital spaces simply for not adhering to the woke liberal agenda is unconstitutional.”
Some Americans tolerated it in the beginning because they thought it was to “save lives.”
Now we can see it’s quickly becoming an unmitigated disaster.
House Oversight Committee Ranking Member, James Comer states it simply, “The Biden Administration is using the heavy hand of government to pressure social media companies into censoring Americans’ free speech and news shared on their platforms.”
He continued, “From COVID-19 to Hunter Biden, Biden Administration officials are quick to label facts that don’t fit their narrative as disinformation and then pressure social media companies to suppress content on their platforms. This threatens Americans’ First Amendment rights.”
Millions of Americans agree with this sentiment.
It’s time for Congress to push back on this unconstitutional overreach
Now, Ranking Members in the House are fighting to protect our freedom of speech.
House Committee on the Judiciary Ranking Member, Jim Jordan joined Comer and McMorris Rodgers to introduce the Protecting Speech from Government Interference Act (H.R. 8752).
The purpose is to stop Biden officials and any other federal government actors from directly censoring or pressuring private companies to do it on their behalf.
They’ve broken down the details in a summary on their press release.
They covered what censorship by a federal employee looks like, “The bill prohibits federal officials from using their official authority, influence, or resources—including contracting, grantmaking, rulemaking, licensing, permitting, investigatory, or enforcement actions—to promote the censorship of lawful speech or advocate that a third party or private entity censor speech.”
Then they break out potential penalties proposed for violations, “The bill includes the same established penalties for federal officials who engage in political activities in their official capacity as prohibited under the Hatch Act, including disciplinary actions such as removal, reduction in pay grade, debarment from federal employment, or monetary civil penalties.”
They even covered censorship activities by senior officials that occur outside their “normal duty hours or their office—from engaging in censorship in a personal capacity. This includes any employee of the Executive Office of the President and Presidential agency appointees.”
Overall, this bill covers a good deal of the issues that have led to censorship online.
Though it will surely face backlash from the socialist Democrats and the Biden administration it’s a step in the right direction.
Americans need more of this.
Patriot Political will keep you up-to-date on any developments to this ongoing story.
