On Thursday, 189 members of Congress, led by Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), penned a letter to President Biden urging his administration to cease pressuring private social media companies to censor Democrat-deemed “disinformation” on their platforms.
The letter, which was posted to the House Energy and Commerce Committee's official Twitter account, addressed President Biden and his administration’s “ongoing efforts to pressure private companies to censor speech that it disagrees with,” as well as comparing the president to a “Cuban dictator.”
“The Democrat Party has been attacking the First Amendment since day 1 of your administration,” the letter states. “It is the type of behavior we would expect from a Cuban dictator, not a President of the United States who is also a former Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary.”
?? BREAKING ??
— Energy & Commerce GOP (@HouseCommerce) July 22, 2021
The White House is on a censorship mission – pressuring private companies to undermine free speech they don’t agree with.
We’re demanding they stop.
READ the letter 189 House Republicans led by @cathymcmorris just sent to @POTUS. ? pic.twitter.com/DuyUuzmFzb
The letter rips into Biden’s presidency, citing instances of members of the Democrat Party pressuring tech companies to undermine free speech on their platforms. Notably, the Wuhan lab leak Facebook fiasco is mentioned in detail.
“It is also clear from recent history that certain information related to COVID-19 that was once labeled as ‘misinformation’ is now viewed quite differently. For example, until recently, Facebook would not allow any discussion on its platform about the lab leak theory, and for months your chief medical advisor denounced any suggestion that COVID-19 may have escaped the Wuhan lab. Presumably, your administration would have flagged content about the lab leak theory as ‘disinformation’ and demanded social media companies suppress such speech. But you would have been wrong. This is the problem with your censorship mission. Not only are attacking the First Amendment, but your ‘truth’ might be wrong.”
Several signers of the letter weighed in on Twitter to share their thoughts on censorship, free speech, and the Biden administration colluding with Big Tech.
.@POTUS, please provide a list of EVERY social media company you are working with to CENSOR content your administration deems as “disinformation.”
— CathyMcMorrisRodgers (@cathymcmorris) July 22, 2021
Please produce any written policy or plan outlining your administration’s censorship program. https://t.co/YRB8jhQz2A
Proud to have joined my colleagues on this letter to protect our First Amendment rights!???? https://t.co/0umyIMDtXU
— Rep. David Schweikert (@RepDavid) July 26, 2021
The Biden Administration’s effort to censor information online is a threat to our First Amendment.
— Rep. Roger Williams (@RepRWilliams) July 23, 2021
My colleagues and I will not stand by and allow this to happen. Thank you to @cathymcmorris for your leadership on this. https://t.co/UpF4Zxnede
It's alarming that our executive branch is pressuring private entities to restrict content they don't agree with.
— Rep. Randy Feenstra (@RepFeenstra) July 23, 2021
This is a major affront to fundamental #FirstAmendment rights.
That's why I joined my colleagues in calling on the Biden admin to cease their censorship efforts. ?? https://t.co/q37BQRZ8xo
????The White House is colluding with Big Tech! I’m proud to join with @cathymcmorris and my House Republican colleagues in demanding this administration end its crusade to censor speech they don’t agree with. https://t.co/1I4Q507kPH
— Congresswoman Debbie Lesko (@RepDLesko) July 24, 2021
The Biden Administration continues down a dangerous path of censoring speech and undermining the First Amendment. It needs to stop.
— Rep Tim Walberg (@RepWalberg) July 23, 2021
Joined @cathymcmorris and my colleagues in sending this letter to @POTUS. ? pic.twitter.com/l3bgFsAJUG
The letter concludes with a request for the president to provide a complete run-down of social media companies the Biden administration is working with to censor “disinformation,” lists of “disinformation”-flagged social media posts, and users banned from said platforms for spreading “disinformation.”
“As the President of the United States, you have a duty to defend the Constitution,” the letter states. “Every American cherishes free speech, but your administration is attacking this fundamental right.”