Brendan Carr threatens free press. Demand his resignation.

I am writing to you today as a concerned constituent to formally demand that Congress call for the immediate resignation of Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chair Brendan Carr. Recent actions and public statements by Chair Carr, as detailed in reports such as those from CBS News, demonstrate a flagrant disregard for the First Amendment, the statutory limits of his office, and the independence of the FCC as a regulatory body. On Saturday, March 14, 2026, Chair Carr issued a direct threat to revoke the broadcast licenses of news organizations that he unilaterally labeled as purveyors of "hoaxes and news distortions." By echoing the political grievances of the President regarding coverage of the ongoing conflict in Iran, Chair Carr has transformed a non-partisan regulatory agency into a tool for state-sponsored censorship and political retribution. His pattern of behavior is both unprecedented and dangerous: Weaponization of Licensing: Carr has threatened the broadcast spectrum—a public asset—to intimidate news outlets whose coverage he deems "unfattering." This contradicts the Communications Act of 1934, which expressly prohibits the FCC from censoring broadcast material. Targeting of Specific Media Outlets: Since the beginning of 2025, Carr has launched or reopened investigations into numerous major news organizations, including CBS, NBC, ABC, and even the BBC, often citing vague "public interest" concerns that align suspiciously with the President’s personal and political vendettas. Chilling Effect on Free Speech: By publicly pressuring companies like Disney over the content of programs like Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Carr has successfully induced corporate self-censorship, as seen when the show was briefly pulled from the air following his public rebukes. The FCC's mission is to ensure that the airwaves serve the public interest, not to act as a "bias monitor" or a "licensing tsar" for the executive branch. Chair Carr’s actions have fundamentally compromised the integrity of the Commission and represent a direct assault on the freedom of the press—a cornerstone of our democracy. If we allow the head of a federal agency to use the threat of license revocation to control editorial content, we no longer have a free press; we have state-controlled media. This is an abuse of power that cannot be tolerated. I urge you to exercise your oversight authority, launch a formal investigation into Chair Carr’s conduct, and join the growing chorus of citizens and legal experts demanding his immediate resignation. Thank you for your time and for your commitment to defending the Constitution.