Republicans Demand Answers on White House ‘Censorship Program’ with Facebook

A group of Republicans sent a letter to the President Joe Biden administration demanding answers on the White House’s “censorship program” with private companies to “undermine free speech [the companies and the White House] don’t agree with.”

The letter, signed by 189 House Republicans and led by Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), seeks answers as to why the White House is on their “mission” and “demanding they stop” trying to censor Americans. The letter expresses the House Republicans’ concern that the White House’s efforts are “undermining First Amendment principles by pressuring private companies to censor free speech.”

The letter stated that White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki openly admitted during a press briefing that the administration had been identifying posts to Facebook that contain what they consider to be “misinformation” about the coronavirus vaccine. Psaki went as far as to say the administration is in “regular touch” and is “flagging problematic posts for Facebook that spread disinformation.”

The letter also shows how the Democrats have “been attacking the First Amendment since day 1 of your administration.” The letter noted, “House Democrats sent a letter to 12 Multichannel Video Programming Distribution (MVPDs) pressuring these companies to block certain conservative media outlets.”

The group wrote, “As staunch defenders of the First Amendment and free speech, our position is simple: the answer to speech you disagree with should be more speech, not less.”

McMorris Rodgers tweeted, “@POTUS, please provide a list of EVERY social media company you are working with to CENSOR content your administration deems as ‘disinformation.’”

She added, “Please produce any written policy or plan outlining your administration’s censorship program.”

The Republicans want the administration to “provide a list of every social media post company the Biden-Harris administration is working with” along with a “complete list of the social media posts and content” the administration has flagged for the companies.

They would also like to know a “complete list of social media users” the administration has “requested social media companies to suspend or ban and identify which companies such requests were made of.”