Tell Congressional Republicans: Defend the First Amendment

FCC Chair Brendan Carr is using federal power to intimidate media companies — and congressional Republicans are letting it happen.

Carr’s FCC ordered Disney to file early license renewals for eight ABC broadcast stations just one day after Donald Trump publicly demanded ABC fire Jimmy Kimmel over a joke. Senate Democrats are calling it an extraordinary abuse of power and demanding Carr rescind the order. They’re right.

The First Amendment does not disappear because a president dislikes a comedian, a broadcaster, or a news outlet. The FCC has no business acting like Trump’s speech police, threatening broadcast licenses to punish editorial decisions or pressure companies into censoring protected speech.

Tell Speaker Mike Johnson, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, and congressional Republicans: Defend the First Amendment, condemn Carr’s abuse of power, and demand real oversight now.

Republicans love to talk about the Bill of Rights when Democrats are in power. They claim to care about free speech, executive overreach, and government accountability. But when Trump’s own FCC chair appears to weaponize licensing authority against a media company that refused to obey Trump’s demands, too many Republicans suddenly go quiet.

That silence is dangerous. If a federal agency can threaten broadcasters because the president dislikes their programming, every journalist, comedian, station owner, and media worker gets the message: criticize the administration and your livelihood could be next.

Congress has the power to act. Republican leaders can join Democrats in demanding answers, hold hearings, defend the independence of the FCC, and make clear that government retaliation against protected speech is unacceptable no matter which party controls the White House.

Add your name now and tell congressional Republicans to stop looking away. The Constitution is not a partisan weapon — it is a promise they swore to defend.

The petition to Speaker Mike Johnson, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, and congressional Republicans reads:

"Defend the First Amendment. Condemn FCC Chair Brendan Carr’s abuse of power, demand that the FCC rescind its early license-renewal order targeting Disney and ABC, and launch real congressional oversight into any effort to use federal licensing authority to punish protected speech."