Sen. Hawley: Flips-the-Script on Democrat Witness to Expose ‘the Censorship Happening at the Highest Levels of Our Government!’

HAWLEY Thank you Mr ░░░░░░░░ Thanks to the witnesses ░░░░░░░░ being here I think ░░░░░░░░ s safe to say ░░░░░░░░ that all of you ░░░░░░░░ here today because you ░░░░░░░░ opposed to government censorship ░░░░░░░░ that is that right ░░░░░░░░ I got that broadly ░░░░░░░░ OK we can agree ░░░░░░░░ that much Book banning ░░░░░░░░ a form of government ░░░░░░░░ is that broadly speaking ░░░░░░░░ Professor Knox let me ░░░░░░░░ re an expert in ░░░░░░░░ let me just ask ░░░░░░░░ book banning is a ░░░░░░░░ into the First Amendment ░░░░░░░░ it s the government ░░░░░░░░ private individuals authors what ░░░░░░░░ you what they can ░░░░░░░░ cannot write telling the ░░░░░░░░ what they can and ░░░░░░░░ read is that broadly ░░░░░░░░ correct KNOX Yes that ░░░░░░░░ correct HAWLEY So now ░░░░░░░░ if what if the ░░░░░░░░ were digital only Could ░░░░░░░░ government banning them So ░░░░░░░░ no hard copies No ░░░░░░░░ physical copies just digital ░░░░░░░░ Could the government engage ░░░░░░░░ book banning then under ░░░░░░░░ First Amendment no problem ░░░░░░░░ No that s about ░░░░░░░░ format of the particular ░░░░░░░░ and that really doesn ░░░░░░░░ matter when it comes ░░░░░░░░ whether or not government ░░░░░░░░ banning a book HAWLEY ░░░░░░░░ What what if what ░░░░░░░░ the government made a ░░░░░░░░ of authors whose books ░░░░░░░░ wanted banned and also ░░░░░░░░ to all of the ░░░░░░░░ houses in America the ░░░░░░░░ did and said do ░░░░░░░░ publish the books by ░░░░░░░░ of these authors or ░░░░░░░░ will punish you Is ░░░░░░░░ a problem under the ░░░░░░░░ Amendment KNOX My hope ░░░░░░░░ that the government would ░░░░░░░░ be involved in the ░░░░░░░░ of a private company ░░░░░░░░ Good I would hope ░░░░░░░░ too But apparently that ░░░░░░░░ not the case in ░░░░░░░░ United States of America ░░░░░░░░ under this administration Because ░░░░░░░░ hypotheticals I ve just ░░░░░░░░ you aren t hypotheticals ░░░░░░░░ all They ve happened ░░░░░░░░ we know that they ░░░░░░░░ happening The Fifth Circuit ░░░░░░░░ of Appeals just ruled ░░░░░░░░ a case Missouri v ░░░░░░░░ I m sure you ░░░░░░░░ all familiar with this ░░░░░░░░ s going to go ░░░░░░░░ I think as a ░░░░░░░░ case in the worst ░░░░░░░░ way in First Amendment ░░░░░░░░ because what the Court ░░░░░░░░ Appeals found is that ░░░░░░░░ White House not just ░░░░░░░░ federal government but the ░░░░░░░░ House actively coerced every ░░░░░░░░ social media platform in ░░░░░░░░ let me say that ░░░░░░░░ every major social media ░░░░░░░░ in America to ban ░░░░░░░░ that the White House ░░░░░░░░ not like What are ░░░░░░░░ talking about here Well ░░░░░░░░ re talking about speech ░░░░░░░░ the Covid 19 pandemic ░░░░░░░░ on the 2022 congressional ░░░░░░░░ speech related to mask ░░░░░░░░ speech related to vaccines ░░░░░░░░ did the White House ░░░░░░░░ Well over a period ░░░░░░░░ years they met with ░░░░░░░░ a regular basis the ░░░░░░░░ of social media companies ░░░░░░░░ demanded that the speech ░░░░░░░░ did not like be ░░░░░░░░ down They further demanded ░░░░░░░░ the same social media ░░░░░░░░ amplify the White House ░░░░░░░░ Amazing So take down ░░░░░░░░ of this speech that ░░░░░░░░ don t like amplify ░░░░░░░░ own speech Unbelievable What ░░░░░░░░ of speech are we ░░░░░░░░ about Well for example ░░░░░░░░ just public officials but ░░░░░░░░ Here s an example ░░░░░░░░ my state the state ░░░░░░░░ Missouri This is I ░░░░░░░░ reading it from the ░░░░░░░░ here One parent who ░░░░░░░░ on nextdoor com which ░░░░░░░░ a site operated by ░░░░░░░░ posted an online petition ░░░░░░░░ encourage his school to ░░░░░░░░ mask optional found that ░░░░░░░░ posts were removed without ░░░░░░░░ him and his friends ░░░░░░░░ saw them Another parent ░░░░░░░░ the same school district ░░░░░░░░ objected to mask mandates ░░░░░░░░ school children responded to ░░░░░░░░ Fauci on Twitter and ░░░░░░░░ received a warning from ░░░░░░░░ that his account would ░░░░░░░░ banned if he did ░░░░░░░░ delete the tweets criticizing ░░░░░░░░ Fauci s approach to ░░░░░░░░ mandates These objections amazingly ░░░░░░░░ this censorship was taken ░░░░░░░░ the direct behest of ░░░░░░░░ federal government the direct ░░░░░░░░ of the Biden Administration ░░░░░░░░ Knox is this a ░░░░░░░░ of the First Amendment ░░░░░░░░ Only a judge can ░░░░░░░░ that determination HAWLEY And ░░░░░░░░ judge has I m ░░░░░░░░ you said that multiple ░░░░░░░░ The district court federal ░░░░░░░░ court said there was ░░░░░░░░ direct First Amendment violation ░░░░░░░░ of Appeals unanimously three ░░░░░░░░ panel unanimously said direct ░░░░░░░░ Amendment violation I can ░░░░░░░░ think of another time ░░░░░░░░ American history when the ░░░░░░░░ of the United States ░░░░░░░░ I say that advisedly ░░░░░░░░ the record reflects that ░░░░░░░░ House officials were sending ░░░░░░░░ and communications to these ░░░░░░░░ saying that the president ░░░░░░░░ wanted the censorship So ░░░░░░░░ ve got the government ░░░░░░░░ exactly what Professor Knox ░░░░░░░░ is not permitted under ░░░░░░░░ First Amendment directly coercing ░░░░░░░░ speech of private parties ░░░░░░░░ not just one or ░░░░░░░░ authors but parents all ░░░░░░░░ the country Unprecedented in ░░░░░░░░ history of this nation ░░░░░░░░ I m glad we ░░░░░░░░ having this hearing today ░░░░░░░░ hope that we will ░░░░░░░░ more likely to expose ░░░░░░░░ censorship happening at the ░░░░░░░░ levels of our government ░░░░░░░░ Chairman I d ask ░░░░░░░░ this this opinion this ░░░░░░░░ by the Fifth Circuit ░░░░░░░░ v Biden be entered ░░░░░░░░ the record in full ░░░░░░░░ Without objection HAWLEY I ░░░░░░░░ leave it there I ░░░░░░░░ there are others Senator ░░░░░░░░ s here who want ░░░░░░░░ ask questions But I ░░░░░░░░ want to say for ░░░░░░░░ record that this kind ░░░░░░░░ censorship is unAmerican it ░░░░░░░░ unconstitutional And I hope ░░░░░░░░ will go down as ░░░░░░░░ sad chapter in American ░░░░░░░░ that we can close ░░░░░░░░ and now Thank you ░░░░░░░░ Chairman CHAIRMAN Thank you ░░░░░░░░ Hawley. Senator Kennedy.”