Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025

Floor Speech

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Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Madam Chair, I rise today in support of amendment No. 45.

Small businesses are the lifeblood of America. Their contribution to the success and security of the country cannot be overstated. Simply put, they are the driving force behind America's dominance in the world.

The men and women who start small businesses take calculating risks to compete in the marketplace. It is one that is supposed to allow the best products and services to rise to the top, through spirited competition free from government influence.

At least this is how it is supposed to be here in America. That is why it is appalling that an investigation led by the Committee on Small Business uncovered that the Federal Government is actively silencing entrepreneurs and driving them out of business simply because they exercise their right to free speech.

Under the guise of misinformation and disinformation, the Biden administration is funding third-party entities, such as NewsGuard, to label entrepreneurs' free speech as dangerous and prevent them from doing business online.

In a country that was founded on the free flow of ideas, it is unconscionable that the government would seek to interfere with an individual's ability to make a living over the internet because of their beliefs.

NewsGuard and similar companies receive funds from the Department of Defense, the State Department's Global Engagement Center, and other Federal agencies to actively suppress and demonetize small businesses by labeling certain speech as untrustworthy, using partisan tactics and skewed determinations of fact.

This has resulted in massive revenue losses and businesses having to completely change their operations, including downsizing. Worst of all, these efforts have been paid for by American taxpayer dollars. Make no mistake: This is a direct effort by the government to skirt the Constitution and force a single viewpoint on America.

Some will have you believe that government-forced censorship and demonetization of small businesses who spread supposed misinformation is the only way to protect America. The reality is that those same people simply label speech they dislike as misinformation. That is why one of America's founding principles is that more information, not the suppression of it, brings out the truth.

My amendment is just the first step in cutting off the head of the snake that threatens the God-given rights afforded all Americans. This amendment would prevent any Federal funds from going to any organization that looks to demonetize businesses based on lawful speech. Too often, we have seen the self-proclaimed fact checkers get it wrong, and these determinations should not be deciding which businesses survive online.

That is why this amendment is so critical to an open marketplace where small businesses can compete. The government should never seek to demonetize or censor American businesses, whether directly or indirectly, as it has done through NewsGuard and similar entities.

No small business owner should ever fear that their government will actively fund efforts to threaten their livelihoods and put them out of business. Unfortunately, if we continue exporting what is considered truth to outside organizations, this will not be the case.

I urge all of my colleagues on both sides to support this amendment so that we can preserve free speech, free enterprise, and put an end to this attack on small business.

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Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Madam Chair, may I inquire as to the time remaining.

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Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Luna).
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Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Madam Chair, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, here is the bottom line: We can have all this dialogue, but it is not DOD's job to police speech.

This amendment will prevent the government from funding organizations that tip the scales against certain businesses from succeeding online.

Competition is what makes this country great. A business should try to gain market share by having the best product, lower prices, or better service than other businesses, and I personally deal with that every single day.

When the government gives money to third parties to decide which entities are allowed to take part in this exercise, it is simply un- American.

Madam Chair, I urge all of my colleagues to support this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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