FCC Commissioner Anna M. Gomez is taking the First Amendment on the road.
Gomez — a Democrat and a critic of new rules and policies being put in place at the FCC under President Trump — said she is “partnering with consumer and civil society organizations across the ideological spectrum to participate in speaking engagements and listening sessions focused on protecting the rights and freedoms enshrined in the First Amendment and fighting back against this administration’s ongoing campaign of censorship and control.”
She characterized the administration as trying to silence dissenting voices and said such actions are a show of fear, not strength.
“We must continue to speak out against this growing campaign of censorship and control before this dangerous new normal becomes the status quo.” She said the greatest current threat to the First Amendment is from the U.S. government.
“From investigating broadcasters for editorial decisions in their newsrooms, to harassing private companies for their fair hiring practices, to threatening tech companies that respond to consumer demand for fact-checking tools, the FCC’s actions have focused on weaponizing the agency’s authority to silence critics,” her announcement states.
Gomez is the junior of the two Democrats on the commission, having joined in 2023, but she has emerged as a vocal critic of Trump and Chairman Brendan Carr. Senior Democrat Geoffrey Starks has indicated he plans to step down soon. The commission currently has two members from each major party; the nomination of Republican Olivia Trusty is pending Senate action.
The first event on her list will be hosted by the Center for Democracy and Technology in Washington on Thursday.
[Related: “What to Know About Brendan Carr’s ‘Delete, Delete’ Initiative”]
