Democrats and Lone Republican Vote Against Dr. Rand Paul’s Free Speech Amendment in HSGAC Markup
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee offered his Free Speech Protection Act as an amendment to S.2251, the Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2023. The amendment would prohibit federal employees and contractors from using their positions to censor and otherwise attack speech protected by the First Amendment. The amendment would impose mandatory severe penalties for those individuals that violate this rule.
Unfortunately, several senators voted against Dr. Paul’s amendment, choosing not to protect Americans’ free speech rights, and the amendment did not pass. The final vote tally was 6 YEAS and 9 NAYS, and can be viewed HERE at the 1 hour mark.
“Americans are free people and we do not take infringements upon our liberties lightly. The time has come for resistance and to reclaim our God-given right to free expression,” said Dr. Paul. “Under my Free Speech Protection Act the government would no longer be able to cloak itself in secrecy to undermine the First Amendment rights of Americans.”
In addition to protecting Americans’ First Amendment rights, the amendment would also:
- Require executive branch agencies to regularly publish reports that details their communications with content providers. These reports must be publicly accessible, and agencies would be prohibited from employing any FOIA exemption to withhold information related to these communications.
- Ensure that federal grant money is not awarded to any entity that seeks to label media organizations as sources of misinformation or disinformation.
- Revoke authorities that threaten free speech and other constitutionally protected rights.
You can read the Free Speech Protection Act amendment HERE.
A companion bill to Dr. Paul’s stand-alone Free Speech Protection Act has been introduced in the House by Chairman Jim Jordan.
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