1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

The First Amendment is clear: Americans have the right to speak out against public figures and government officials without fear of retaliation. Yet today, those rights are under direct attack. The administration’s response to the death of Charlie Kirk, and the Vice President’s reckless claim that “the left” is responsible for criminal violence in America, are being used to silence and intimidate critics. Let me be plain: citizens have every constitutional right to condemn Charlie Kirk’s legacy of hate, to call out this administration’s failures, and to challenge the false narrative that left-wing Americans are the source of our nation’s violence. The evidence from the Department of Homeland Security, the Anti-Defamation League, and independent research shows the opposite: far-right extremists are overwhelmingly responsible for extremist killings in the United States. Congress cannot allow this administration to twist the facts and chill dissent. When government officials seek to punish, fire, or silence those who speak against them, it is nothing less than a betrayal of the First Amendment. I demand that Congress: 1. Defend free speech rights for all Americans, regardless of political affiliation. 2. Hold hearings on attempts by the administration to smear critics and misrepresent domestic extremism. 3. Publicly repudiate the Vice President’s false statements and reaffirm that dissent is not only lawful but vital to democracy. The First Amendment is not negotiable. It is your duty to protect it. Stand against these abuses of power and ensure that every American retains the right to speak truth to power.