[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 183 (Tuesday, December 10, 2024)]
[House]
[Page H6548]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      SAFEGUARDING OUR FREE SPEECH

  (Mr. LaMALFA asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. LaMALFA. Mr. Speaker, the National Defense Authorization Act is 
more than just a defense bill. It is a safeguard for free speech.
  How can that be?
  It is because within its pages, Congress took an important step to 
protect the First Amendment by prohibiting the Department of Defense 
from partnering with advertising firms such as NewsGuard which unfairly 
targets conservative news sources as untrustworthy.
  Stopping censorship and ensuring the government isn't using taxpayer 
dollars to silence viewpoints it doesn't like under the pretense of 
misinformation is essential for free press.
  By including this provision, the NDAA ensures that Federal agencies 
can't act as gatekeepers for acceptable speech or manipulate the flow 
of information.
  At a time when cancel culture seems to have no boundaries, this is a 
much-needed step to keep the government out of the business of picking 
winners and losers in the marketplace of ideas, especially in 
information that needs to get out to the public.
  The NDAA sends a clear message: Free speech isn't a privilege; it is 
a right for us to know.

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