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EXCLUSIVE REPORT: A significant Senate hearing is set for Tuesday to scrutinize the Biden administration’s alleged collaboration with external organizations to censor American citizens. Senator Eric Schmitt, a Republican from Missouri, criticized what he termed a “sprawling network of federal agencies and NGOs” that reportedly aim to silence speech and social media posts deemed unfavorable.
Schmitt emphasized that the Biden Administration has orchestrated a vast censorship initiative involving multiple federal entities and non-governmental organizations. He stated, “From specialized reporting portals to the White House press secretary openly confirming they were flagging content for removal, the coordination to undermine the First Amendment and eradicate disfavored speech surpasses what many had anticipated.” This statement was made to Fox News Digital in anticipation of the upcoming hearing.
Leading the hearing as the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Schmitt will explore the role that NGOs have played in the suppression of free speech, particularly while receiving billions in federal subsidies and tax dollars, according to an official advisory.
Legal Action by Eric Schmitt
In his previous role as Missouri’s attorney general, Schmitt, alongside Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration in 2022. This lawsuit addressed the alleged collusion between government officials and technology companies to censor individual speech online.
Describing his efforts, Schmitt remarked, “As Missouri’s attorney general, I initiated the landmark Missouri v. Biden case that revealed the extent of this censorship. Now, as a Senator, I am advocating for legislation to hold both social media organizations and specific government officials accountable for censorship-related actions. However, this is only the beginning of my efforts.”
He further added, “This hearing is a pivotal opportunity to unveil how a network of NGOs participated in this extensive censorship operation, and to continue defending the First Amendment rights of all Americans.”
Judicial Stance on Censorship
Earlier in 2023, U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty dismissed a request from the Biden Justice Department to delay a preliminary injunction that prohibited the government from collaborating with social media companies regarding “protected speech.” This injunction highlighted the involvement of NGOs such as the Stanford Internet Observatory, the Election Integrity Partnership, and the Virality Project.
The judge pointed out that while these organizations were not defendants in the case, they worked closely with government officials in flagging social media posts of protected speech for potential suppression.
According to Judge Doughty,”The flagged content primarily originated from political figures, political organizations, alleged partisan news outlets, and influential individuals in the social media sphere associated with conservative viewpoints. This pattern indicates probable viewpoint discrimination.”
Supreme Court’s Decision
The Supreme Court ultimately ruled in a 6-3 decision against an appeal to restrain the Biden administration from pressuring social media platforms to censor specific content. The case, known as Murthy v. Missouri, saw social media users and the states of Missouri and Louisiana challenging actions taken by Biden’s then-Surgeon General, Vivek Murthy, among others.
The decision drew criticism from various quarters, including remarks from Dr. Jayanta Bhattacharya, the current nominee for Director of the National Institutes of Health. He stated, “In the guise of countering misinformation, the Biden Administration wielded its regulatory power to suppress genuine critiques of its COVID response. Such actions led to irrational policies, including prolonged school closures and misleading denials of natural immunity.”
Bhattacharya emphasized that it is imperative for Congress to take concrete actions to restore free speech rights in light of the Supreme Court’s hesitance to safeguard these rights fully.
House Judiciary Findings
In a notable report released last year, the House Judiciary Committee detailed extensive findings regarding the Biden administration’s coercive tactics directed at big tech companies aimed at suppressing speech. Titled “The Censorship-industrial Complex,” this 800-page document unveiled numerous instances of COVID-19 censorship under significant pressure from the White House.
The report noted that both Facebook and Amazon described the pressure exerted by the Biden administration as coercive. Internal emails from Facebook’s executives revealed that they understood the directive as an effort to eliminate negative statements about the COVID vaccine.
In particular, one email exchange disclosed that Facebook executive Nick Clegg inquired about the decision to censor the lab-leak theory concerning COVID-19. An employee responded that it was due to “pressure from the [Biden] administration and others to do more,” conceding that the censorship was unwarranted.
Looking Forward to the Hearing
A representative for the Biden administration was unavailable for comments prior to this report’s publication. The highly anticipated hearing is scheduled to commence at 2 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday.
This session promises to shed light on the contentious discussions surrounding free speech, government involvement, and the role of non-governmental organizations in shaping the conversation in America.
