Political Quotes

“Woman, I rise today to offer my amendment expressing the sense of Congress that free speech should be protected. H.R. 1 is a misguided bill with many problems. One problem, in particular, has united everyone from the Heritage Foundation to the ACLU. It is the bill's assault on free speech. The ACLU itself says H.R. 1 will ``chill speech essential to our public discourse.'' When the ACLU admonishes a Democrat bill, everyone should take notice. My amendment is simple. It reaffirms the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. The First Amendment, after all, guarantees the most fundamental right of our Democratic society: ``Congress shall make no law . . . abridging the freedom of speech.'' Our Founding Fathers knew that in order for the American experiment to work, the people must be free: free to participate in the democratic process, free to vote in elections, free to help candidates and causes they believe in, and free to speak up when their elected officials are no longer representing them. The freedom of speech enshrined in the First Amendment has helped make America the most exceptional country in the history of the world. Unfortunately, H.R. 1 tramples on that very freedom. Madam Chair, I offer this amendment to express the sense of Congress that the freedom of speech must be preserved and protected because, without it, the American experiment won't ever be the same again. A vote against this amendment is a vote against free speech.…”