Ed Markey: “I rise today to talk about a regime of censorship that is increasing by the day. It is the story of Donald Trump's…”

“I rise today to talk about a regime of censorship that is increasing by the day. It is the story of Donald Trump's relentless attacks on CBS and its flagship news program, ``60 Minutes.'' It is the story of how the Federal Communications Commission, an Agency with a storied history of protecting free speech--how it has been weaponized to pressure journalists to soften their coverage of President Trump. It is a story of a campaign to turn our free press into a State-run media echo chamber, and make no mistake, it is a story that should alarm every single American, Democrat, and Republican alike. Since leaving office and even before, Donald Trump has waged a nonstop war on the free press. He has called journalists the ``enemy of the people.'' He has used his platform, Truth Social, to attack reporters, to smear respected news organizations, and to incite harassment and threats against those who dare to report the truth. But recently, we have witnessed something even more dangerous, the merging of Trump's personal vendettas with the official powers of the government. So let's start with the facts. Trump and his allies' hatred for CBS and ``60 Minutes'' is no secret. Trump has repeatedly attacked ``60 Minutes'' on his Truth Social account. Just 2 weeks ago, for example, he said that CBS should lose its license over its reporting--even though CBS, as a network, doesn't have a license.…”