Protecting Speech From Government Interference Act

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. EDWARDS. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of H.R. 140, Protecting Speech from Government Interference Act, and I applaud and appreciate Chairman Comer bringing this bill forward.

In a recent hearing held by the Oversight and Accountability Committee with former executives from Twitter, a clear and very disturbing pattern emerged: A coordinated effort between a privately owned social media giant and the Federal Government to suppress critical reporting ahead of the 2020 Presidential election.

Mr. Chairman, the Federal Government and its legions of unelected bureaucrats must not be the final decisionmaker of what information Americans can and cannot read.

The onus is on Congress to provide a way to effectively prevent Federal bureaucrats from suppressing lawful speech. This bill, H.R. 140, would do just that.

For almost 100 years, the Hatch Act has served as an important barrier against taxpayer-funded employees participating in political activities while on official time, and added suppression of free speech to its list of prohibited activities.

I urge strong support for this legislation, and I am encouraged by Chairman Comer's commitment to thoroughly investigate the ever- increasing encroachment by Big Tech companies into the privacy and First Amendment rights of millions of Americans.

Mr. GOLDMAN of New York. Mr. Chairman, I have no idea what hearing the gentleman from North Carolina is referring to, because at the hearing with Twitter executives that I attended where the head of trust and safety was specifically asked if the FBI had given any information, instructions, or directions about the Hunter Biden New York Post story, he specifically said no, they did not receive any information.

If that is what you all think that you are basing this bill on, the actual facts in evidence are precisely the opposite of that.

It is preposterous that you continue to say that over and over and over as if it is true when the evidence is directly contradictory to that.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source