Latest news with #HOUSEOFREPRESENTATIVES
West Australian
3 days ago
- General
- West Australian
Make up of federal parliament finalised after election
After the recount in Bradfield, all seats in the next federal parliament have been finalised following May's federal election. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES * Labor: 94 seats * Coalition: 43 (28 Liberal, 15 Nationals) * Greens: one * Independents/minor parties: 12 SENATE * Labor: 29 seats * Coalition: 27 (23 Liberal, four Nationals) * Greens: 10 * One Nation: four * Independents/minor parties: six NEW MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT IN HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES * Mary Aldred - Liberal (Monash, Vic) * Ash Ambihaipahar - Labor (Barton, NSW) * David Batt - LNP (Hinkler, Qld) * Carol Berry - Labor (Whitlam, NSW) * Nicolette Boele - Independent (Bradfield, NSW) * Jo Briskey - Labor (Maribyrnong, Vic) * Julie-Ann Campbell - Labor (Moreton, Qld) * Jamie Chaffey - Nationals (Parkes, NSW) * Claire Cutterham - Labor (Sturt, SA) * Renee Coffey - Labor (Griffith, Qld) * Emma Comer - Labor (Petrie, Qld) * Kara Cook - Labor (Bonner, Qld) * Trish Cook - Labor (Bullwinkel, WA) * Ali France - Labor (Dickson, Qld) * Tom French - Labor (Moore, WA) * Matt Gregg - Labor (Deakin, Vic) * Rowan Holzberger - Labor (Forde, Qld) * Madonna Jarrett - Labor (Brisbane, Qld) * Alice Jordan-Baird - Labor (Gorton, Vic) * David Moncrieff - Labor (Hughes, NSW) * Gabriel Ng - Labor (Menzies, Vic) * Alison Penfold - Nationals (Lyne, NSW) * Leon Rebello - LNP (McPherson, Qld) * Ben Small - Liberal (Forrest, WA) * Matt Smith - Labor (Leichhardt, Qld) * Zhi Soon - Labor (Banks, NSW) * Jess Teesdale - Labor (Bass, Tas) * Anne Urqhart - Labor (Braddon, Tas) * Tom Venning - Liberal (Grey, SA) * Tim Wilson - Liberal (Goldstein, Vic) * Sarah Witty - Labor (Melbourne, Vic) NEW SENATORS * Jessica Collins - Liberal (NSW) * Josh Dolega - Labor (Tas) * Richard Dowling - Labor (Tas) * Corinne Mulholland - Labor (Qld) * Warwick Stacey - One Nation (NSW) * Charlotte Walker - Labor (SA) * Ellie Whiteaker - Labor (WA) * Tyron Whitten - One Nation (WA)
Perth Now
3 days ago
- General
- Perth Now
Make up of federal parliament finalised after election
After the recount in Bradfield, all seats in the next federal parliament have been finalised following May's federal election. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES * Labor: 94 seats * Coalition: 43 (28 Liberal, 15 Nationals) * Greens: one * Independents/minor parties: 12 SENATE * Labor: 29 seats * Coalition: 27 (23 Liberal, four Nationals) * Greens: 10 * One Nation: four * Independents/minor parties: six NEW MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT IN HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES * Mary Aldred - Liberal (Monash, Vic) * Ash Ambihaipahar - Labor (Barton, NSW) * David Batt - LNP (Hinkler, Qld) * Carol Berry - Labor (Whitlam, NSW) * Nicolette Boele - Independent (Bradfield, NSW) * Jo Briskey - Labor (Maribyrnong, Vic) * Julie-Ann Campbell - Labor (Moreton, Qld) * Jamie Chaffey - Nationals (Parkes, NSW) * Claire Cutterham - Labor (Sturt, SA) * Renee Coffey - Labor (Griffith, Qld) * Emma Comer - Labor (Petrie, Qld) * Kara Cook - Labor (Bonner, Qld) * Trish Cook - Labor (Bullwinkel, WA) * Ali France - Labor (Dickson, Qld) * Tom French - Labor (Moore, WA) * Matt Gregg - Labor (Deakin, Vic) * Rowan Holzberger - Labor (Forde, Qld) * Madonna Jarrett - Labor (Brisbane, Qld) * Alice Jordan-Baird - Labor (Gorton, Vic) * David Moncrieff - Labor (Hughes, NSW) * Gabriel Ng - Labor (Menzies, Vic) * Alison Penfold - Nationals (Lyne, NSW) * Leon Rebello - LNP (McPherson, Qld) * Ben Small - Liberal (Forrest, WA) * Matt Smith - Labor (Leichhardt, Qld) * Zhi Soon - Labor (Banks, NSW) * Jess Teesdale - Labor (Bass, Tas) * Anne Urqhart - Labor (Braddon, Tas) * Tom Venning - Liberal (Grey, SA) * Tim Wilson - Liberal (Goldstein, Vic) * Sarah Witty - Labor (Melbourne, Vic) NEW SENATORS * Jessica Collins - Liberal (NSW) * Josh Dolega - Labor (Tas) * Richard Dowling - Labor (Tas) * Corinne Mulholland - Labor (Qld) * Warwick Stacey - One Nation (NSW) * Charlotte Walker - Labor (SA) * Ellie Whiteaker - Labor (WA) * Tyron Whitten - One Nation (WA)
The Advertiser
3 days ago
- General
- The Advertiser
Make up of federal parliament finalised after election
After the recount in Bradfield, all seats in the next federal parliament have been finalised following May's federal election. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES * Labor: 94 seats * Coalition: 43 (28 Liberal, 15 Nationals) * Greens: one * Independents/minor parties: 12 SENATE * Labor: 29 seats * Coalition: 27 (23 Liberal, four Nationals) * Greens: 10 * One Nation: four * Independents/minor parties: six NEW MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT IN HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES * Mary Aldred - Liberal (Monash, Vic) * Ash Ambihaipahar - Labor (Barton, NSW) * David Batt - LNP (Hinkler, Qld) * Carol Berry - Labor (Whitlam, NSW) * Nicolette Boele - Independent (Bradfield, NSW) * Jo Briskey - Labor (Maribyrnong, Vic) * Julie-Ann Campbell - Labor (Moreton, Qld) * Jamie Chaffey - Nationals (Parkes, NSW) * Claire Cutterham - Labor (Sturt, SA) * Renee Coffey - Labor (Griffith, Qld) * Emma Comer - Labor (Petrie, Qld) * Kara Cook - Labor (Bonner, Qld) * Trish Cook - Labor (Bullwinkel, WA) * Ali France - Labor (Dickson, Qld) * Tom French - Labor (Moore, WA) * Matt Gregg - Labor (Deakin, Vic) * Rowan Holzberger - Labor (Forde, Qld) * Madonna Jarrett - Labor (Brisbane, Qld) * Alice Jordan-Baird - Labor (Gorton, Vic) * David Moncrieff - Labor (Hughes, NSW) * Gabriel Ng - Labor (Menzies, Vic) * Alison Penfold - Nationals (Lyne, NSW) * Leon Rebello - LNP (McPherson, Qld) * Ben Small - Liberal (Forrest, WA) * Matt Smith - Labor (Leichhardt, Qld) * Zhi Soon - Labor (Banks, NSW) * Jess Teesdale - Labor (Bass, Tas) * Anne Urqhart - Labor (Braddon, Tas) * Tom Venning - Liberal (Grey, SA) * Tim Wilson - Liberal (Goldstein, Vic) * Sarah Witty - Labor (Melbourne, Vic) NEW SENATORS * Jessica Collins - Liberal (NSW) * Josh Dolega - Labor (Tas) * Richard Dowling - Labor (Tas) * Corinne Mulholland - Labor (Qld) * Warwick Stacey - One Nation (NSW) * Charlotte Walker - Labor (SA) * Ellie Whiteaker - Labor (WA) * Tyron Whitten - One Nation (WA) After the recount in Bradfield, all seats in the next federal parliament have been finalised following May's federal election. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES * Labor: 94 seats * Coalition: 43 (28 Liberal, 15 Nationals) * Greens: one * Independents/minor parties: 12 SENATE * Labor: 29 seats * Coalition: 27 (23 Liberal, four Nationals) * Greens: 10 * One Nation: four * Independents/minor parties: six NEW MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT IN HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES * Mary Aldred - Liberal (Monash, Vic) * Ash Ambihaipahar - Labor (Barton, NSW) * David Batt - LNP (Hinkler, Qld) * Carol Berry - Labor (Whitlam, NSW) * Nicolette Boele - Independent (Bradfield, NSW) * Jo Briskey - Labor (Maribyrnong, Vic) * Julie-Ann Campbell - Labor (Moreton, Qld) * Jamie Chaffey - Nationals (Parkes, NSW) * Claire Cutterham - Labor (Sturt, SA) * Renee Coffey - Labor (Griffith, Qld) * Emma Comer - Labor (Petrie, Qld) * Kara Cook - Labor (Bonner, Qld) * Trish Cook - Labor (Bullwinkel, WA) * Ali France - Labor (Dickson, Qld) * Tom French - Labor (Moore, WA) * Matt Gregg - Labor (Deakin, Vic) * Rowan Holzberger - Labor (Forde, Qld) * Madonna Jarrett - Labor (Brisbane, Qld) * Alice Jordan-Baird - Labor (Gorton, Vic) * David Moncrieff - Labor (Hughes, NSW) * Gabriel Ng - Labor (Menzies, Vic) * Alison Penfold - Nationals (Lyne, NSW) * Leon Rebello - LNP (McPherson, Qld) * Ben Small - Liberal (Forrest, WA) * Matt Smith - Labor (Leichhardt, Qld) * Zhi Soon - Labor (Banks, NSW) * Jess Teesdale - Labor (Bass, Tas) * Anne Urqhart - Labor (Braddon, Tas) * Tom Venning - Liberal (Grey, SA) * Tim Wilson - Liberal (Goldstein, Vic) * Sarah Witty - Labor (Melbourne, Vic) NEW SENATORS * Jessica Collins - Liberal (NSW) * Josh Dolega - Labor (Tas) * Richard Dowling - Labor (Tas) * Corinne Mulholland - Labor (Qld) * Warwick Stacey - One Nation (NSW) * Charlotte Walker - Labor (SA) * Ellie Whiteaker - Labor (WA) * Tyron Whitten - One Nation (WA) After the recount in Bradfield, all seats in the next federal parliament have been finalised following May's federal election. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES * Labor: 94 seats * Coalition: 43 (28 Liberal, 15 Nationals) * Greens: one * Independents/minor parties: 12 SENATE * Labor: 29 seats * Coalition: 27 (23 Liberal, four Nationals) * Greens: 10 * One Nation: four * Independents/minor parties: six NEW MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT IN HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES * Mary Aldred - Liberal (Monash, Vic) * Ash Ambihaipahar - Labor (Barton, NSW) * David Batt - LNP (Hinkler, Qld) * Carol Berry - Labor (Whitlam, NSW) * Nicolette Boele - Independent (Bradfield, NSW) * Jo Briskey - Labor (Maribyrnong, Vic) * Julie-Ann Campbell - Labor (Moreton, Qld) * Jamie Chaffey - Nationals (Parkes, NSW) * Claire Cutterham - Labor (Sturt, SA) * Renee Coffey - Labor (Griffith, Qld) * Emma Comer - Labor (Petrie, Qld) * Kara Cook - Labor (Bonner, Qld) * Trish Cook - Labor (Bullwinkel, WA) * Ali France - Labor (Dickson, Qld) * Tom French - Labor (Moore, WA) * Matt Gregg - Labor (Deakin, Vic) * Rowan Holzberger - Labor (Forde, Qld) * Madonna Jarrett - Labor (Brisbane, Qld) * Alice Jordan-Baird - Labor (Gorton, Vic) * David Moncrieff - Labor (Hughes, NSW) * Gabriel Ng - Labor (Menzies, Vic) * Alison Penfold - Nationals (Lyne, NSW) * Leon Rebello - LNP (McPherson, Qld) * Ben Small - Liberal (Forrest, WA) * Matt Smith - Labor (Leichhardt, Qld) * Zhi Soon - Labor (Banks, NSW) * Jess Teesdale - Labor (Bass, Tas) * Anne Urqhart - Labor (Braddon, Tas) * Tom Venning - Liberal (Grey, SA) * Tim Wilson - Liberal (Goldstein, Vic) * Sarah Witty - Labor (Melbourne, Vic) NEW SENATORS * Jessica Collins - Liberal (NSW) * Josh Dolega - Labor (Tas) * Richard Dowling - Labor (Tas) * Corinne Mulholland - Labor (Qld) * Warwick Stacey - One Nation (NSW) * Charlotte Walker - Labor (SA) * Ellie Whiteaker - Labor (WA) * Tyron Whitten - One Nation (WA) After the recount in Bradfield, all seats in the next federal parliament have been finalised following May's federal election. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES * Labor: 94 seats * Coalition: 43 (28 Liberal, 15 Nationals) * Greens: one * Independents/minor parties: 12 SENATE * Labor: 29 seats * Coalition: 27 (23 Liberal, four Nationals) * Greens: 10 * One Nation: four * Independents/minor parties: six NEW MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT IN HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES * Mary Aldred - Liberal (Monash, Vic) * Ash Ambihaipahar - Labor (Barton, NSW) * David Batt - LNP (Hinkler, Qld) * Carol Berry - Labor (Whitlam, NSW) * Nicolette Boele - Independent (Bradfield, NSW) * Jo Briskey - Labor (Maribyrnong, Vic) * Julie-Ann Campbell - Labor (Moreton, Qld) * Jamie Chaffey - Nationals (Parkes, NSW) * Claire Cutterham - Labor (Sturt, SA) * Renee Coffey - Labor (Griffith, Qld) * Emma Comer - Labor (Petrie, Qld) * Kara Cook - Labor (Bonner, Qld) * Trish Cook - Labor (Bullwinkel, WA) * Ali France - Labor (Dickson, Qld) * Tom French - Labor (Moore, WA) * Matt Gregg - Labor (Deakin, Vic) * Rowan Holzberger - Labor (Forde, Qld) * Madonna Jarrett - Labor (Brisbane, Qld) * Alice Jordan-Baird - Labor (Gorton, Vic) * David Moncrieff - Labor (Hughes, NSW) * Gabriel Ng - Labor (Menzies, Vic) * Alison Penfold - Nationals (Lyne, NSW) * Leon Rebello - LNP (McPherson, Qld) * Ben Small - Liberal (Forrest, WA) * Matt Smith - Labor (Leichhardt, Qld) * Zhi Soon - Labor (Banks, NSW) * Jess Teesdale - Labor (Bass, Tas) * Anne Urqhart - Labor (Braddon, Tas) * Tom Venning - Liberal (Grey, SA) * Tim Wilson - Liberal (Goldstein, Vic) * Sarah Witty - Labor (Melbourne, Vic) NEW SENATORS * Jessica Collins - Liberal (NSW) * Josh Dolega - Labor (Tas) * Richard Dowling - Labor (Tas) * Corinne Mulholland - Labor (Qld) * Warwick Stacey - One Nation (NSW) * Charlotte Walker - Labor (SA) * Ellie Whiteaker - Labor (WA) * Tyron Whitten - One Nation (WA)
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Recreational weed' passes in Pa. House; Dems and GOP split
State House Democrats voted in favor of a bill that would legalize cannabis in Pennsylvania this week. On Wednesday, H.B. 1200 was passed by the state House of Representatives. The vote advances the bill to the state Senate. All 101 Republicans in the House voted against the bill, which would allow Pennsylvanians age 21 and older to legally purchase and use recreational cannabis in the commonwealth. One-hundred-and-two Democrats argued that five of the six states that border Pennsylvania have legalized recreational cannabis, sending residents to New Jersey, New York, Maryland, Delaware and Ohio to shop for it. They hope Pennsylvania will set up a state-monitored chain of stores for cannabis, similar to how state-sanctioned stores currently sell alcohol. * Rep. Kyle Donahue, D-113, of Scranton, co-sponsored and voted for legislation aimed to legalize recreational cannabis use and purchase in Pennsylvania. (PA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES / SUBMITTED) * State Rep. Bridget M. Kosierowski, D-114, Waverly Twp., supported a bill on Wednesday to move the discussion of legalization of recreational cannabis in Pennsylvania forward. (PA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES / SUBMITTED) * Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski voted yes to support ongoing conversation for the legalization of recreational cannabis in Pennsylvania, arguing that surrounding states have legalized cannabis, and now it's time for Pennsylvania to consider the potential benefits. (FILE PHOTO) * Tim Twardzik, R-123, Frackville, voted against H.B. 1200, supporting legalization of recreational cannabis in Pennsylvania. (PA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES) * State Rep. Brenda Pugh is concerned that making recreational cannabis legal for adult use in the Commonwealth could hurt children. (Submitted) Show Caption 1 of 5 Rep. Kyle Donahue, D-113, of Scranton, co-sponsored and voted for legislation aimed to legalize recreational cannabis use and purchase in Pennsylvania. (PA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES / SUBMITTED) Expand State Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski, D-121, Wilkes-Barre, said sending residents out of state to buy cannabis is costing Pennsylvania in a big way. 'Just like gambling before we got our casinos, Pennsylvania residents took all their money and gave it to New Jersey,' he said. 'They brought in about $6 billion, of which nearly $3 billion comes back to the taxpayer in one form or another.' Pashinski said taxes on cannabis sales could be used for rehabilitation services, child care, to help senior citizens and more. 'There's a lot of good things that you could use those dollars for,' Pashinski said. 'It's not going away. All the states around us have it. Why should people go out of state?' he asked. The bill memo, co-sponsored by state Reps. Kyle Donahue, D-113, Scranton, and Maureen Madden D-115, Coolbaugh Twp., says Pennsylvanians are still consuming cannabis, legal or not, and are buying unregulated cannabis and 'hemp loophole products' at gas stations, vape shops or via the 'illicit market.' State Rep. Brenda Pugh, R-120, of Dallas Twp., said she believes the bill will hurt children, and cited the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's literature on the damage it can cause. 'For me, it's for our children, it's for the THC that's in marijuana,' she said, explaining why she voted 'no' on the bill 'the way it stands' in its current phase, adding that neighboring states that have legalized are no reason for Pennsylvania to follow suit. 'My dad used to say, 'If so and so jumped off the bridge, would you jump off the bridge? Probably not,' Pugh said. 'I don't feel a child's life or health is worth any amount of money.' Pugh added that Pennsylvania should invest in natural gas versus cannabis. State Rep. Bridget Kosierowski, D-114, Waverly Twp., agrees that children should be considered with the legislation, but accentuated that this bill does not suggest child use by any means. 'This is for adult usage,' Kosierowski said, arguing that without the legislation in place, children are actually at greater risk. 'Right now, they're marketing to children in vape stores,' she said, calling the bill a conversation starter aimed at 'safety, regulation and taxation' in the industry. 'As a health care provider, I understand the concerns that people have about legalizing cannabis,' she said. 'But we have to remember that cannabis is being used now in the commonwealth.' Kosierowski said the bill will regulate, make safe and tax cannabis, citing that legal cannabis is projected to bring in more than $1.3 billion in revenue over five years, and calling it 'a big move for the commonwealth.' 'The proposal to legalize adult-use cannabis is about catching up with our neighbors, regulating a market that already exists, and reinvesting in Pennsylvania communities,' Kosierowski said. The bill's memo called cannabis prohibition a 'failed policy,' blaming it for ruining lives over minor cannabis offenses, which disproportionately affect black and brown communities, increased purchases of 'dangerous products,' and a loss of millions in public revenue that communities need. The bill also aims to learn from what sister states have done wrong — namely 'poorly structured cannabis' programs that bring in 'out-of-state corporations.' State Rep. Tim Twardzik, R-123, Frackville, said it's off-base to think about profits that could come from the legislation. 'The promise of money from this project is absolutely wrong,' Twardzik said, calling it 'blood money' and lamenting that it will cost upwards of $350 million to get the system in place in Pennsylvania. Twardzik further called the legislation 'bad policy' and stated that 'law enforcement were never asked' to weigh in on the bill. 'Absolute solid no,' he said, reflecting his vote on the bill. 'I am heartbroken,' he added, lamenting that the bill will 'normalize' cannabis use and that the proposed fine for underage use isn't a big-enough deterrent. 'From a youth standpoint, they decided it'll be a $25 fine if you buy marijuana in a state store, but that doesn't match liquor in a state store,' he said. While the bill isn't perfect, it's 'long overdue,' said Donahue, citing issues relating to criminal justice, equity and revenue, among others. 'I voted to move the conversation forward, see what ideas come out of the Senate. So now it's in their hands,' he said. Donahue added that it's important to get the bill as close to right as possible, and consider arguments arising for Democrats and Republicans alike so that it will pass in both houses. 'I wouldn't expect the Senate to pass it as is, but I'm hoping they send something back so, as we move closer to our budget season, we can come to a compromise,' Donahue said. Gov. Josh Shapiro requested a bill that addressed legal recreational cannabis use in his 2025-2026 budget address. 'Like skill games, there's another issue that's long overdue to regulate and tax — and that is adult-use cannabis,' said Shapiro, adding, 'Letting this business operate in the shadows doesn't make sense.' June 30 is the deadline for the state budget. Donahue explained that while there are many dense issues to bear in mind in regard to the legislation, the time to move ahead is now. 'We've been working on this issue for a long time,' Donahue said, adding that representatives had the benefit of information from six health committee hearings and multiple policy hearings in helping them prepare to vote for or against H.B. 1200. He said that one of his favorite parts of the bill is centered on 'social equity' — making sure that the revenue 'doesn't just go to big corporations.' 'This allows small businesses to get in the game,' Donahue said. 'Pennsylvania agriculture could play a huge part in this industry moving forward, if we set up an infrastructure to help them get in the game.' He stressed that the program needs to be set up safely and responsibly.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Republicans Are Obsessed with a Censorship Lie
LAST WEEK, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES held its fifth hearing about a lie. I was called as the sole minority witness in the latest installment of this particular right-wing fever dream, what the Republican majority on a subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee called the 'Censorship-Industrial Complex: The Need for First Amendment Safeguards at the State Department.' Based on that title, you might think the hearing would investigate the cases of foreign students who have recently been arrested and had their visas revoked because they deigned to use their rights to free expression. But no, the Republicans weren't there to talk about the ongoing assault on our Constitution. Instead, they wanted to talk about made-up stuff. For the past four years, the Republican party has engaged in obsessive mythmaking about supposed collusion by Democrats, disinformation researchers, and the social media industry to suppress conservative viewpoints online. Reputable journalists have punctured holes in this narrative, showing how it is based on distortion and exaggeration. Academics, too, have looked into the question and found not a vast conspiracy aimed at censoring conservatives but a clear imbalance: right-wing users simply break social media platforms' rules more frequently. These hearings have no real analytical or fact-finding purpose, but House Republicans have created an entire fictional universe around them, comprising two investigations, dozens of transcribed interviews and depositions, and subpoenas for reams of documents and emails from research institutions around the country. These actions have formed the basis of frivolous lawsuits and smear campaigns of which institutions large and small have struggled to bear the burden. If that sounds to you like modern-day McCarthyism, it's because it is. Like McCarthy's anti-Communist crusade, Republican pursuit of the censorship lie is political theater is high on fantasy and low on facts. Still, it has had dire consequences; disinformation researchers have faced threats, harassment, and declining funding as a result. The information environment is in rough shape. Sign up for a free or paid Bulwark subscription to help us improve it through our independent political reporting, commentary, and analysis. I've been a direct target of this dangerous Republican projection. In 2022, I was appointed to lead the Disinformation Governance Board, an admittedly poorly named but anodyne coordination body tasked with shepherding counter-disinformation policy within the Department of Homeland Security. Within hours of the board's public launch, partisan media, influencers, and members of Congress were calling it a 'Ministry of Truth' and claiming that I would be censoring Americans' speech. They did this entirely without evidence; as demonstrated by the board's founding documents and my five-hour sworn deposition before the House Judiciary Committee in 2023, the board had nothing to do with censorship. Its mission was to protect civil rights, civil liberties, privacy, and the First Amendment. The lies about me led to widespread harassment, credible death threats, and my inclusion in deepfake pornography. I have been forced to spend almost $90,000 in legal bills dealing with a frivolous civil suit, a congressional deposition, and a cyberstalker. So as I prepared for last week's hearing, it made a lot of sense that a colleague asked me, 'Why are you doing this? Shouldn't you just keep your head down?' Though I wasn't being compelled to appear, I didn't feel like I had a choice; it was an opportunity to directly challenge the folks who have used a conspiracy theory to decimate our nation's response to foreign disinformation. More importantly, it was a chance to directly channel the anger and frustration that many Americans are feeling to a few of the people who need to hear it. This was clear even before the hearing—starting from the moment Republicans learned I would be the Democratic witness. Republicans' online posts dripped with condescension and sexism, branding me 'Joe Biden's short-lived disinformation czar' (instead of engaging with my actual credentials or expertise) and sharing a carefully curated lineup of witness photos—polished headshots for the Republican witnesses, and a ridiculous screenshot from a four-year-old TikTok video for me. They reduced me to a caricature rather than engaging with my record of work. The infantilizing rhetoric continued in the hearing itself, where Rep. Bill Huizenga, the chairman of the South and Central Asia Subcommittee that hosted the hearing, introduced me without so much as a mention of my professional background or qualifications, instead calling me a 'disinformation czarina' with a smirk. Meanwhile, the Republican witnesses were given fulsome introductions. The majority clearly expected the folk villain they've created—a zealous, woke, feminist censor—to appear. They thought they could scare or perhaps embarrass me into submission. Instead, in both my prepared testimony and my responses to committee questions I called out the hypocrisy of the subcommittee's Republicans for holding their first hearing on a fiction, rather than the flagrant violations of the Constitution they were allowing the Trump administration to commit. 'If [the arrest of Fulbright Ph.D. student Rümeysa Öztürk] had happened in a country in this subcommittee's portfolio, you would issue a statement of concern,' I told them. 'But it happened here. So yes, we need First Amendment protections at the State Department—but not for imagined transgressions of previous administrations. We need protections from this administration, today.' I also challenged the Republicans' star witness, Matt Taibbi, whose participation only underscored just how unserious the hearing was. Taibbi was a central participant in the so-called 'Twitter Files,' the much-hyped journalistic flop that falsely alleged Twitter executives were colluding with government to censor disfavored content. His reporting has been widely debunked. In his barely coherent remarks before the subcommittee, Taibbi claimed that he and other bloggers 'didn't know what they were looking at' when Elon Musk first allowed them to access the documents, as if they had stumbled upon something huge, not purposely relied on outright falsehoods, innuendo, and selectively edited screenshots to drive subscriptions to their paywalled content. I told the subcommittee, 'Mr. Taibbi said . . . he didn't know what he was looking at. Well, he still doesn't. Everything's a conspiracy when you don't know how anything works.' Share The Bulwark From the dais, Republicans' shambolic embrace of authoritarianism was on full display. Rep. Keith Self decided it would be appropriate to quote Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels during a congressional hearing. (I think his intention was to compare me to Goebbels, which would be shocking regardless of the context, but he chose to do it after I repeatedly pushed back on his assumptions about my views, undermining his already-garbled line of questions.) Worse still, this wasn't even the first time he's done it. Back in 2010, he used a Goebbels quote to attack a political opponent, and now, in 2025, he's doing it again to prop up a manufactured moral panic. When confronted, he didn't retract or apologize. Instead, his office doubled down, spinning the quote as some sort of righteous critique of government censorship and unfounded attack on me. (For next time, Rep. Self: If you have to explain why you're quoting a Nazi, perhaps don't quote a Nazi.) Self's Goebbels moment aired on Fox News the day after the hearing, leading me to be targeted with a fresh round of online threats and a violent voicemail. Rep. Self wasn't the only committee member to awkwardly grasp at a dubious historical reference during the hearing. Responding to my characterization of the hearing as a twenty-first-century McCarthy inquisition, Rep. Scott Perry mused aloud that 'many people disagree with McCarthy's methods, but you can't disagree with the facts: that the people that he listed turned out to all be subversive Communists.' The irony was so thick you could cut it with a knife: While claiming to be concerned about free speech and backing Trump's assault on the First Amendment, Perry was celebrating one of the most infamous abusers of American government power, and distorting history in the process. In the days since the hearing, I've gotten notes of thanks from many Americans who were happy to see someone directly confronting a few of the falsehoods on which Trumpists have built their rule. Like the town halls across the country where Trump's foot soldiers are being challenged by angry constituents for the first time, these representatives were unprepared for the indignation and expertise of someone they've smeared without a second thought. Wading through their hypocrisy is exhausting. And it's risky. But if we want to slow or stop America's slide into autocracy, we have to keep fighting for the truth. Last week's hearing, though a spectacle based on lies, reminded me that we shouldn't wallow in despair; when you stand up to bullies and fight, they crumble. Share this article with someone who values truth over political expediency. Share
