Sheila Jackson Lee: “Let me indicate that the gentleman just argued my point. Clarity is what we need. My amendment provides clarity. Again…”

“Let me indicate that the gentleman just argued my point. Clarity is what we need. My amendment provides clarity. Again, what does this bill do? This bill tells Federal employees about their speech: what level of speech, containing speech, how much speech, what they can say, what is propaganda, what is publicity. Therefore, I think it is important to avoid the chilling effect on public servants who are doing the task on behalf of the American people. Being the American people's defendant, I believe that we should, in fact, have this language. In Branzburg v. Hayes, Justice Douglas reminded us that an effective self-government cannot succeed unless the people are immersed in a steady, robust, unimpeded, and uncensored flow of opinion and reporting which are continuously subjected to critique, rebuttal, and reexamination. That is the protection of the First Amendment. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.”