McCollum Vote on H.R. 140, Protecting Speech from Government Interference Act

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 140, the Protecting Speech from Government Interference Act.

Americans know that if they see something, they should say something. Yet Republicans are offering H.R. 140 which will prevent federal law enforcement and intelligence officers from telling social media platforms when they see something that could cause harm. For example, when Russia mounted a state-sponsored campaign to influence the 2016 presidential election, FBI agents were integral in detecting these actions. In order for our democracy to flourish, we must have the ability to stop the spread of misinformation that could cause harm.

What this bill does is prohibit law enforcement and other federal employees from providing information on personal safety and consumer safety. If passed, H.R. 140 will allow the spread of harmful foreign propaganda, promote hateful and violent content online, and undermine our democracy. This bill is proof that House Republicans would rather protect debunked, right-wing conspiracy theories than the safety of our communities and our democracy.

When Republicans held a markup of H.R. 140 last week, they rejected commonsense amendments, including proposals that would have created a national security exception, an amendment to help law enforcement prevent violence incited by neo-Nazi groups, and efforts to ensure that federal employees could still share essential public health and consumer safety information.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 140 is yet more proof that Republicans would prefer to fan the flames of far-right conspiracy theories rather than bolster safeguards to American democracy.

It should be rejected, and I yield back.