Democrats Use Spending Bill to Restrict Free Speech (Rep. Tom Price)

Congress just passed another pork-stuffed omnibus spending package this week. Buried in the bill, however, is a provision that paves the way for Democrats to revive the misnamed ‘Fairness Doctrine.’ Currently there is protection of free speech over the airwaves by prohibiting federal funds from being used to control and censor media content. Yesterday, the Majority elected to remove that protection.

There is no place for government control of political discussion over the air. The guarantee to free speech is one of the most vital pillars of the American political system -– and a constitutional right. Yesterday’s action to restrict this freedom should raise red flags as to the intent of the majority party. President Obama has stated his opposition to airwave censorship, but his party’s leadership in Congress is determined to flex their political muscle at the expense of the First Amendment. Remember Lord Acton’s admonition: “Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

It’s time to do away with the outdated ‘Fairness Doctrine’ once and for all. But instead, Democrats have used the smokescreen of a $410 billion spending bill to cynically take a huge step toward censorship and free speech restrictions. As a result, the voice of free people everywhere got a little bit quieter. This does not bode well.

Cross-post from Redstate.com.