At Wednesday's Senate Health Committee hearing, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) put forward an amendment defending free speech, which found support from Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY).
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00:00I call up Sanders Amendment number six. This amendment makes it clear that the
00:05federal government shall protect the First Amendment rights of college
00:09students and that the federal government shall not compel a school, college, or
00:13university to violate the First Amendment rights of a student or professor. We
00:19have already seen attack after attack on freedom of speech and right to dissent.
00:24This amendment defends the Constitution of the United States and our
00:31First Amendment. I'd like to speak in favor. Senator Paul. The Supreme Court made it
00:38clear in Brandenburg versus Ohio that speech can be suppressed only if the
00:42speech is intended and likely to produce imminent lawless action. They've added an
00:48amendment to this bill saying, well, the First Amendment is going to protect your
00:51speech and this bill will do nothing to your speech, but then
00:54they list 11 things in defining what they're going to have to that say
00:58include things like accusing and saying they're all speech that's being
01:03regulated. Do you have a contradiction? They said they're going to obey the First
01:06Amendment, then they say, well, these 11 things are going to be adhered to which
01:09all are in contradiction to the Supreme Court and the First Amendment. In the
01:14Brandenburg case, the speech in question was made by a hood-wearing leader of the
01:18Ku Klux Klan named Clarence Brandenburg. Despite the horrid nature of the speech in
01:23question, America's commitment to free expression is best exemplified by the
01:27people who defended Brandenburg. Two lawyers for the ACLU, Melvin Wolfe, a
01:32Jewish man, and Eleanor Norms-Holton, a young black woman who's still in
01:36Congress. Norton later explained that she decided to defend Brandenburg's First
01:41Amendment right because free speech is worth defending even when you don't like
01:45what is being said. To me that's been the the greatness of the Brandenburg decision
01:50is that was by people who despised. A black woman who despised the language he
01:55was using and the racism and a Jewish lawyer who also despised the anti-Semitism.
02:00That is what's so great about our country is that we allow people to say things
02:05that we completely object to and we counter bad things and bad statements with
02:10better bad information, bad speech with more speech. The First Amendment controls
02:16would be worthwhile in this bill only if you eliminated the 11 definitions that
02:22are all speech violations that go against the First Amendment. I'll support the
02:27bill if we get rid of the 11 definitions. I would propose that we should
02:31actually vote on Senator Cain's resolution.
02:35federal government cannot compel anyone to do something as unconstitution. This is
02:39unnecessary. For timing purposes we're going to proceed to the vote. I shall be
02:43voting no. The clerk shall call the roll. Senator Paul. Aye. Senator Collins. No by
02:52proxy. Senator Murkowski. No by proxy. Senator Mullin. No by proxy. Senator Marshall. No. Senator Scott. No. Senator Hawley.
03:01I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Collins is an I by proxy. Collins is an I by proxy. Okay.
03:08And so who is the last one? Senator Tuberville. He's a no by proxy.
03:16Oh, sorry. Senator Hawley. No by proxy.
03:22Senator Tuberville. No by proxy. Senator Banks. No by proxy.
03:29Senator Houston. No by proxy. Senator Moody. No by proxy. Senator Sanders. Aye.
03:36Senator Murray. Aye by proxy. Senator Baldwin. Aye by proxy.
03:42Senator Murphy. Aye. Senator Cain. Aye. Senator Hassan. Aye. Senator Hickenlooper. Aye. Senator Markey. Aye.
03:51Senator Kim. Aye. Senator Blunt-Rochester. Aye by proxy.
03:54Senator Ulsterbrooks. Aye. Chairman Cassidy.
03:59Senator Cassidy is a no. I have 13 ayes, 10 nays.
04:03For the-
04:05Senator Cassidy. Ar erstmal.
04:19Or CA Bonjour.
04:21Senator Mayor Newell Orchester.é€
04:22cukrun.
04:23Senator Alison.
04:23Senator bubble.
04:24Dr Boxer.
04:24pause.
04:26士 things in pale.
04:27No.
04:28Oh.
04:28offs.
04:29Jennifer Foley.
04:30Mr Narr...
04:30Chris essence.
04:31Will do a role.