,,iii  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session 
,s4 ,,res4 #dhf  ,,in ,,the ,,senate    
,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states  ,november 
#f1 #bjbe ,mr4 ,markey 7for himself and 
,mr4 ,schumer7 submitted the following  
resolution2 which was referred to the   
,committee on the ,judiciary            
,,resolution  ,condemning the suggestion
 by ,president ,donald ,j4 ,trump that  
criticism of him is illegal1 reaffirming
 the fundamental importance of free     
speech1 and declaring that criticism of 
the ,president is not only lawful but   
essential to democracy in the ,united   
,states4  ,whereas the ,first ,amendment
 to the ,constitution of the ,united    
,states provides that ,congress shall   
make no law ''' abridging the freedom of
 speech1 or of the press42  ,whereas    
robust public debate and criticism of   
those who hold public office lie at the 
core of democratic governance1 which    
includes the proposition that the right 
to speak1 publish1 and dissent is       
fundamental to a self-governing people2 

,whereas the institution of the         
presidency1 like all offices of         
government in the ,united ,states1 is   
subject to public scrutiny1 criticism1  
and accountability2  ,whereas1 on       
,november #a1 #bjbe1 ,president ,donald 
,j4 ,trump posted on social media that  
commentary by comedian ,seth ,meyers was
 #ajj ,,anti ,,trump and therefore      
,,probably ,,illegal2  ,whereas         
,president ,trump has previously        
attacked late-night comedians and urged 
the ,chairman of the ,federal           
,communications ,commission to punish   
broadcasters that air the comedians'    
political commentary by revoking their  
broadcast licenses2  ,whereas ,federal  
,communications ,commission ,chairman   
,brendan ,carr has demonstrated a       
willingness to weaponize the            
,commission's authority over            
broadcasters for political purposes1    
including1 in ,september #bjbe1 in      
response to a monologue delivered by    
comedian ,jimmy ,kimmel1 by publicly    

threatening ,,abc and its parent company
 ,disney1 stating that we can do this   
the easy way or the hard way1 in clear  
reference to the ,commission's          
regulatory power2  ,whereas ,president  
,trump's social media post and the      
repeated actions of the ,trump          
administration suggest that they view   
criticism of ,president ,trump as       
illegal and subject to regulatory       
punishment2  ,whereas such episodes     
serve as a reminder that when government
 officials treat criticism--especially  
of themselves--as unlawful1 they        
undermine the basic premise of free and 
open political discourse2 and  ,whereas 
the right to criticize the president is 
not only lawfully protected but         
politically essential1 and the ability  
of citizens1 the press1 and elected     
representatives to question1 challenge1 
and hold the executive branch to account
 is foundational to the health of       
democracy in the ,united ,states3 ,now1 
therefore1 be it  ,that the ,senate--   

7#a7 condemns any suggestion by         
,president ,donald ,j4 ,trump or his    
administration that criticism of        
,president ,trump is illegal or that    
governmental power may lawfully be used 
to punish1 censor1 or intimidate        
dissenting views2  7#b7 affirms that the
 ,first ,amendment to the ,constitution 
of the ,united ,states protects the     
right to criticize public officials1    
including the ,president of the ,united 
,states1 and to engage in vigorous      
public debate without fear of           
governmental retaliation2 and  7#c7     
urges all officials of the ,trump       
administration to refrain from using    
regulatory1 licensing1 investigative1 or
 enforcement authorities to penalize or 
suppress speech that criticizes         
,president ,trump or the policies of his
 administration4