Since our founding, the freedom of speech and the rights protected in the First Amendment to the Constitution have been essential in ensuring all Americans’ viewpoints are free from our federal government’s discrimination. Unfortunately, President Biden and his Administration have weaponized the federal government to collude with Big Tech to censor legitimate news sources and, more importantly, speech. Luckily, conservatives in the House are standing up and rejecting social media’s co-opting to act as an agent of the government.
H.R. 140, the Protecting Speech from Government Interference Act, is an important first step — of many —- to address the practices and harm of Big Tech. This legislation, sponsored by Congressman Jim Jordan, Congresswoman Cathy McMorris-Rogers, and Congressman James Comer, would prohibit federal government employees from demanding social media firms take down content because of a particular viewpoint or belief.
From the censorship of the NYPost and the Hunter Biden laptop story days before an election to the quelling of COVID-19 evidence contrary to the elite’s established viewpoint, social media firms have been censoring American’s viewpoints and their right to associate - apparently at the direction of government agents. Heritage Action commends House Republicans for advancing H.R. 140, the Protecting Speech from Government Interference Act, and looks forward to further action against Big Tech’s corrosive impact on society.