Congressman Buck (00:02):
If the stenographer needs help with Dag gummit, we’ll try to get a spelling for you on that.
(00:10)
I now am honored to yield time to the gentle lady from my home state and a young person who has set this place on fire since she’s been here, Congresswoman Boebert.
Congresswoman Boebert (00:25):
Thank you so much. Definitely not literally.
(00:29)
At midnight, Tuesday, January 24th 2023, Newsmax was removed from DirecTV, DirecTV Stream, and U-verse, denying 13 million customers this highly rated news channel. This is not the first time that we’ve seen this, and I’m afraid that it won’t be the last time that we are seeing this here in our great country. OAN was de-platformed by DirecTV in April of 2022.
(00:59)
So what’s next, Fox News? Will the Weather Channel be canceled next if they refuse to bow to the left’s altar of climate change? What about the History Channel? We see on a regular basis the left wants to erase history and deny truth. How about TBN? There has definitely been an increase in disdain and intolerance by many liberals for Christian beliefs. Simply by saying, we love Jesus, so is TBN next?
(01:37)
Americans are tired of cancel culture. Conservatives are not being treated fairly. We’re the ones who are censored by big tech. We’re the ones targeted and called domestic terrorists when moms and dads show up at school board meetings. We’re the ones targeted by the IRS because our organizations have the word patriot in their name. If you’re a conservative pastor, the government persecutes you. If you’re a liberal pastor, well, Joe Biden shows up to your church, whether he realizes he’s there or not.
(02:14)
And yet, now we are faced with Newsmax, a conservative news organization, followed and watched, again, by millions of Americans, and it has been removed from DirecTV. Newsmax is the fourth most watched news channel, but they’ve been removed for hyper political reasons.
(02:37)
So what can be done? I’ve been asked time and time again, what do we do to reign in the censorship and the oppression of conservatives? Because free and open speech is worth fighting for. The First Amendment in our constitution defends our freedom of speech, and that’s something that we will continue to pursue, to preserve, and never let the left take away from us entirely.
(03:07)
So here’s where we will start. AT&T, as long as you continue to censor conservatives and attack the press, I will make it my personal mission to strip the wasteful, ridiculous federal subsidies you receive. AT&T, DirecTV, and to all the woke corporations, this isn’t a threat. It’s absolutely a promise. If you continue to stifle free speech in this great country and muzzle the press corps, Congress will have no choice but to hold you accountable. And I promise you, my colleagues and I are happy to take you on to preserve free speech for all Americans.
(03:56)
Congressman Buck, I thank you for organizing this tonight. Thank you for being a defender of free speech and the censorship that is going on. Thank you for fighting against that. And sir, I yield back to you.