Sen. Hawley Trashes GOP Inaction on Big Tech, Looks to Force Wednesday Senate Vote: ‘Republicans Have Looked the Other Way’

Rudy TakalaOct 21st, 2020, 1:48 pm
 
Josh Hawley Stefani Reynolds/Getty Images

Stefani Reynolds/Getty Images

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) is planning to seek a Senate vote on Wednesday to reform a federal statute that protects tech companies from liability.

“Tomorrow I will again go to the Senate floor to try to force a vote on Section 230,” Hawley wrote on Twitter Tuesday evening, a reference to the section in the Communications Decency Act that allows social-media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook to avoid liability for content posted by their users.

Hawley’s message was accompanied by video of an interview with Fox News’ Tucker Carlson in which Hawley called for the Senate to subpoena Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

The Senate Judiciary Committee had tentatively planned to subpoena Dorsey to testify on Friday on action his company took to suppress a New York Post report about Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, but that action fell through after at least one Republican on the committee expressed objections.

Hawley called for the Senate to act and took aim at Republicans who have blocked his efforts. “We need to subpoena Jack Dorsey, we need to subpoena Mark Zuckerberg, we need to bring them in front of the Judiciary Committee and say, ‘What are you doing? Are you colluding with the Biden campaign? Why are you suppressing the reporting of The New York Post? Why are you trying to interfere in an election?” Hawley said. “We also … need to pass legislation right now that would change Section 230, that immunity shield — allow Americans to sue. If you get censored, you should be able to sue. We should hold Big Tech accountable.

“I’ve got to tell you, Republicans have drug their feet on this for years,” Hawley added. “Establishment Republicans have looked the other way. That’s how Big Tech has gotten powerful.

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