Fierce invective flew back and forth at a House Judiciary Committee hearing Wednesday, with committee chair Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, ranking member Jamie Raskin, D-Md., and Nigel Farage putting on the gloves and removing the restraints.
The hearing, titled, “Europe’s Threat to American Speech and Innovation,” was held to discuss EU and UK censorship, including acts that Jordan described as “infringing on Americans’ First Amendment rights.” Witnesses included Farage, an avidly pro-free speech British member of parliament.
Jordan began by denouncing several European laws that he said “target our tech companies that provide the modern town square.”
“Laws like the Digital Services Act and the Online Safety Act,” two EU statutes, “are the engines of a global censorship regime targeting political speech disfavored by European bureaucrats,” Jordan said.
The laws “effectively require social media platforms to change their terms of service to moderate more content,” imposing policies Americans like Jordan worry will extend beyond the EU into the U.S., harming Americans’ free speech rights.
Jordan decried recent examples of censorship in the EU and the UK, condemning their lack of respect for free speech.
Then, Raskin took the floor, denouncing Farage, who he called a “far-right, pro-Putin politician.”
“This hearing’s just a drive-by hit against a strong democratic ally to benefit a Donald Trump sycophant and wannabe,” Raskin said. “Not only are our colleagues ignoring intensifying repression in the world’s dictatorships, they’re also trying to distract the world from the attack on freedom taking place right here in America every single day.”
Raskin pointed to alleged examples of censorship under Trump, concluding, “There’s a free speech crisis in America today. But there’s no free speech crisis in Britain.”
In a brief response, Jordan was ready with a sharp rejoinder: “The gentleman alleges there’s no free speech in America under Donald Trump while his staff member holds up countless articles criticizing the Trump administration.”
Farage opened his testimony with a strong dose of irony. “I’m delighted to reacquaint with the charming Mr. Raskin.”
“Delightful testimony you gave me earlier on with your speech,” he continued. “But hey that’s fine, you can say what you like, I don’t care, because that’s what free speech is.”
Farage pointed to the UK’s recent arrest of an Irish comedian at Heathrow Airport for posting supposedly transphobic tweets. “This could happen to any American man or woman that goes to Heathrow that has said things online that the British government and the British police don’t like,” he said.
“At what point did we become North Korea? Well, I think the Irish comedy writer found that out two days ago at Heathrow airport,” he concluded.