Should Federal employees be prohibited from censoring speech of others in an official capacity?
This bill prohibits federal employees from (1) using their official authority to influence or advocate for a third party, including a private entity, to censor speech, (2) censoring speech of any person who has a pending regulatory application with the employee’s office, (3) engaging in censorship while on duty, wearing a uniform, or using official government property. Certain presidential appointees may not censor speech at any time, including outside normal duty hours. Employees are subject to disciplinary action, civil penalties, or both for violations. The bill defines censor or censorship to include ordering or advocating for the removal of lawful speech, the addition of disclaimers, or the restriction of access with respect to any platform (e.g., social media).
Sponsor: Rep. James Comer (Republican, Kentucky, District 1)
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Opponents say
• "Don’t be fooled by the GOP Oversight Committee’s attempts to rewrite the law, after their bogus “Twitter Files” hearing showed NO EVIDENCE of U.S. government officials violating the 1st Amendment or censoring Americans. H.R. 140 is about the rights of Putin & China’s government—not Americans." Source: Rep. Jasmine Crockett (Democrat, Texas, District 30)
Proponents say
• "From suppressing stories on Hunter Biden’s laptop to censoring information about COVID-19, it appears that government employees and political operatives have long colluded with Big Tech companies to silence conservatives. While House conservatives must continue their oversight efforts to investigate any claims or evidence of government employees weaponizing ‘content moderation’ processes for political purposes, passing H.R. 140 is an important first step in the effort to protect free speech for all Americans." Source: Heritage Action for America, Executive Director Jessica Anderson
• "I just voted for HR 140, a bill that would prohibit federal employees from censoring content on social media. Government employees should never be able to bully social media companies to further their own political goals. Free speech is the right of every American." Source: Rep. Don Bacon (Republican, Nebraska, District 2)
