Josh Hawley

We have seen what happens when you have political activists in the position that you are up for confirmation for and we are living through that as a nation right now.

You characterize President Reagan as having, quote, 'less than impressive intellectual capacities.'

had there been a recorded vote, I would have voted no on the confirmation of Executive Calendar No. 1137, Travis LeBlanc, of Maryland, to be a Member of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board for a term expiring January 29, 2028…

I would like to enter this article, 'Anti-intellectualism in the Modern Presidency: Republican Populism.'

We are living with a President who calls half the voters of this country semi fascist, who have said that they are a threat to democracy.

If you are confirmed, you will attempt to stay politically neutral in your decisionmaking.

I think when they do, they will be really disappointed. I am deeply disappointed.

Membership in the Chinese Communist Party is not exactly like membership in the Democratic Party.

My view is that the United States government is bound by the First Amendment.

You can confirm that things like taking down a private Instagram account and adjusting your policies at the behest of the White House, and putting into place misinformation policies at the behest of CDC, that those things, you think, are…

I find it hard to believe that suddenly Facebook became an entirely different entity and was interfacing with the United States government in an entirely different way only when COVID happened.

Do you think it is appropriate to work with the United States government to target private individual speech that is constitutionally protected?

You will not answer that.

None of them are members of the Chinese Community Party?

Why did it start happening, do you think, as soon as you left?

Why did it start happening, do you think, as soon as you left? What do you think drove this kind of collaboration?

I think, for my own point of view, that is a huge security problem.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thanks to the witnesses for being here.

But the United States government is subject to the First Amendment. I think we can probably all agree on.

had there been a recorded vote, I would have voted no on the confirmation of Executive Calendar No. 1134, Natalie K. Wight, of Oregon, to be United States Attorney for the District of Oregon for the term of four years. ____________________

Would it surprise you to learn that Forbes magazine recently reported that at least 300 current TikTok or ByteDance employees were members of Chinese State media and affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party?

I think you are telling me that there are TikTok employees or ByteDance employees who are members of the Chinese Communist Party.

Took steps to coordinate, by which you mean to censor the speech of ordinary Americans at the best of the President of the United States and his Administration.

You are a walking security nightmare. For every American who uses this app, I am concerned.

Is there not a difference between you, as a platform, putting forward information, and censoring your users at the behest of the White House, the Administration more broadly, and the CDC? Is there not a distinction there?