Kay Bailey Hutchison: “I suggest that we think very carefully about the ramifications. So what are we doing here? We are actually considering…”

“I suggest that we think very carefully about the ramifications. So what are we doing here? We are actually considering an amendment that would open the door for restriction on first amendment political speech and freedom of association of many kinds. It seems to me, if we are rating the amendments, the free speech amendment is one of if not the most revered in our country. If we are going to dissect the freedom of speech that we have known for over 200 years in our country and effectively establish various levels of free speech, I think we must examine the impact this would have. By allowing restrictions on political speech, as this amendment would do, but not other forms of speech, we are opening the door to rendering political speech secondary to commercial advertising or even pornography. What could we be thinking? Of all of the rights we have, the ability to have freedom of political expression is perhaps the greatest, and must be preserved at least as vigorously as other rights. Additionally, Mr. President, I would suggest that this amendment might also be called the Incumbency Protection Act of 1997.”