Jenny Beth Martin: Democrats’ HR-1 Should Be Called ‘The Lois Lerner Tribute Act’

Democrats once again control the House, Nancy Pelosi is once again Speaker, and I, once again, feel as if I’m living in George Orwell’s 1984, where war is peace, freedom is slavery, and ignorance is strength.

How else to explain my feelings over the “openness” and “transparency” that will be enhanced by passage of HR-1, the Democrats’ brazenly named “For the People Act,” which seeks to take legitimate, protected legislative speech and turn it into “political” speech subject to onerous and burdensome regulation?

Campaigns and PACs already must disclose every dollar raised and every dollar spent trying to influence the outcome of political campaigns. This “political” speech is already highly regulated. HR-1 is not going to make them disclose more, because they already disclose.

So, HR-1 is not going after “money in politics,” because we already disclose money in politics.

Instead, this bill is designed to intimidate, harass, and silence people for exercising their First Amendment rights on issues before the Congress. Exercising our First Amendment rights on issues is not – and should not be – considered political activity. That is free speech as defined in the First Amendment. It is speaking, assembling, and petitioning government for redress of grievances. That “legislative” speech, if you will, is protected and enshrined in the Bill of Rights.

I know firsthand why it must be protected, because of the IRS targeting of “tea party” and “patriots” groups that began in 2010.

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