[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 52 (Wednesday, April 14, 2010)]
[House]
[Page H2510]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               AMERICANS AND THEIR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS

  (Mr. BARTON of Texas asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. BARTON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the First Amendment gives the 
American people the right to petition the Congress for redress of 
grievances and to express freedom of speech.
  Several weeks ago, the chairman of the committee that I serve as a 
ranking member on, Energy and Commerce, Chairman Henry Waxman, sent a 
letter to several U.S. corporations for having the temerity to express 
their displeasure with the health care bill and to inform their 
employees and stockholders of the consequences of that piece of 
legislation. He has opened an investigation into those companies, and 
we have a hearing next week.
  Two days ago, Chairman Waxman sent a letter to the American Farm 
Bureau, opening an investigation into their activities expressing their 
displeasure with the EPA endangerment finding and the pending cap and 
trade legislation in the United States Senate.
  Mr. Speaker, I am very concerned when one of the premier committee 
chairmen of our great House of Representatives appears to be using his 
power to intimidate Americans from expressing their First Amendment 
rights to petition the Congress for redress of grievances. I think 
that's a sad state of affairs, and I think that is something that maybe 
should be investigated.

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