The Left is all too eager to tear up our guiding American documents and values. The latest under attack appears to be the Constitution, drafted by the framers to “secure the Blessings of Liberty” for generations. It guarantees the freedom to hold our religious beliefs, to protect our families, and other God-given rights.
Increasingly, the Left is picking apart the Constitution for political convenience. After Democrats lost the 2016 presidential election, they called for the Electoral College to be dismantled. Now, they are disregarding Article 1 in an attempt to federalize the election and create a national universal ballot system.
Desperate to overturn the 2016 election, Democrats ignored the constitutional rights of the executive branch and launched a witch hunt against President Trump. More recently, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has attempted to politicize the 25th Amendment to remove a duly elected president. I introduced a resolution condemning the speaker for her political games, which come in the middle of an election, all while she refuses to support targeted relief for hardworking families impacted by the pandemic.
Now, Big Tech is aggressively limiting our First Amendment right to free speech and free press. These companies are using protections afforded under a law passed before their existence (Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act) to silence conservative voices. Last week, Justice Clarence Thomas called on Congress to update these laws to “make them more appropriate for an Internet-driven society.”
In the Senate, I am leading the charge to modernize this glaringly outdated law to reflect the reality of the digital marketplace of ideas and our right to free speech. I recently introduced legislation to give law-abiding people the opportunity to file lawsuits against companies when they remove or limit constitutionally protected speech. I’ve also spearheaded another piece of legislation to eliminate the ambiguous language in Section 230 and codify more concrete terms recommended by the Department of Justice. It’s time these companies are held to the same standards and liabilities as every other person if they limit our constitutional rights. We know that elections have consequences, and that is why a level playing field for conservative speech is a must.
This is just one example of our rights being threatened and why it is so crucial that the Senate votes to confirm Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the United States Supreme Court. With a judicial philosophy of originalism and textualism, she understands and respects the court’s role to interpret the law as written. As such, I believe Barrett will uphold the Constitution and protect our liberties, including the right to life, the Second Amendment, free speech, and religious liberty.
As I’ve traveled around the Peach State, the enthusiasm and admiration I hear from Georgians for Barrett are clear. Earlier this month, I joined Concerned Women for America in Marietta to kick off its nationwide bus tour in support of Barrett. In attendance were families, business owners, policymakers, faith leaders, and students — Georgians from every walk of life who have been inspired by this brilliant judge, caring mother, and great American.
There has never been a more important time to confirm strong jurists like Barrett, who will uphold the rights enshrined in our Constitution. I am grateful that Barrett has accepted the call to serve our country. Trump could not have chosen a more qualified, impressive jurist than Barrett, and I will be honored to vote to confirm her as the next Supreme Court justice.
Sen. Kelly Loeffler, a Republican, is the junior senator from Georgia.
