Commissioner Gomez's Remarks at Media Institute Communications Forum

Our current political moment poses challenges unlike anything I thought I would face as an FCC Commissioner.  This Administration has been on a campaign to censor and control since, well, before day one.  And since day one the FCC has been implementing the will of this Administration and undermining the First Amendment at every turn.  The First Amendment has protected our fundamental right to speak freely and to hold power to account since 1791. It is foundational to our democracy.  Today, the greatest threat to that freedom is coming from our own government.  Silencing dissenting voices is not a show of strength—it’s a sign of weakness.  It comes from a place of fear.  Fear that opposing views, rather than presidential decrees, will win out in the public debate of ideas.  And that is why I am here today and have been speaking out broadly. I realize that, in this space, I am preaching to the proverbial choir.  But it is worth noting that never in my career have I received as much support as I have for speaking out about the importance of the First Amendment and the dangers the current FCC’s actions pose to democracy.