Staff Reports
Senator Ted Cruz saw red and did what too few in Washington will do: call out the hypocrisy and political theater for what it is. When Senator Ed Markey tried to scoff at the committee’s work and deflect blame onto Republicans for the funding fight plaguing the country, Cruz refused to let the cheap partisan dodge stand — because Americans are tired of elites playing games while real people suffer.
This wasn’t a casual conversation — it was a full committee hearing Chairman Cruz titled “Shut Your App: How Uncle Sam Jawboned Big Tech Into Silencing Americans,” convened to expose how federal agencies pressured Silicon Valley to silence lawful speech. The Commerce Committee called witnesses and laid out a report alleging that CISA and other actors overstepped their authority, and Cruz wasted no time turning the spotlight on both the censorship and the politics wrapped around it.
The hearing showed exactly why oversight matters: Cruz and his witnesses documented a pattern of “jawboning” where government officials leaned on private platforms to suppress speech, often with disastrous consequences for transparency and free debate. That report — and the line of questioning — exposed a troubling alliance between regulatory power and tech titans that too often targets conservative voices.
Of course the left screamed “farce” and tried the old switcheroo — blaming Republicans for any dysfunction, even as Democrats dig in their heels over budget priorities and refuse to compromise. Markey’s effort to turn this hearing into a talking point about a shutdown was textbook political theater: divert attention from the substance and hope the narrative sticks. The American people deserve better than this dodge.
Make no mistake: this is about more than headlines. When politicians weaponize shutdown fights to demand giveaways and keep government functions frozen, they’re holding people’s food, paychecks, and health care hostage for political gain. Conservatives should call this what it is — cynical brinkmanship that punishes hardworking families while the elite trade favors and optics.
Cruz’s aggressive oversight has already forced answers and pushed targets to the table, proving subpoenas and scrutiny can move the needle where press leaks and op-eds fail. If Washington wants to stop the collusion between regulators and tech monopolies, Republicans must keep leaning in, subpoena when necessary, and demand transparency from both bureaucrats and CEOs.
Let every patriot watching this circus be clear-eyed: the fight against censorship and the fight against political hostage-taking are the same battle for the soul of our republic. We need laws that stop government jawboning, rein in Big Tech’s secretive moderation, and prevent either party from using budget fights as a tool of coercion against the American people.
Senator Cruz didn’t blink when pressured to let a narrative slide; neither should conservatives. Hold your leaders accountable, keep pressure on the committee to finish its work, and demand that both parties put funding for essential services above ideological ransom. The First Amendment and the livelihoods of everyday Americans are not bargaining chips.
