RELEASE: Murphy Leads 22 Members in House Resolution to Protect Free Speech

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today Rep. Greg Murphy, M.D. (NC-03) and 22 House GOP colleagues introduced a House Resolution, "expressing support for the First Amendment to the Constitution and its bipartisan impact regarding the protection of free speech as well as academic freedoms for all students and faculty." Rep. Murphy's resolution cites the First Amendment, Supreme Court Justice Robert Jackson, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the Bipartisan Policy Center, the nonpartisan Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), Congressman John Lewis, and more to give Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle an opportunity to make free speech protections in higher education a bipartisan priority for Congress. You can read the resolution text here.

Co-sponsors of the resolution (22) include: Reps. Kat Cammack, Jim Jordan, Elise Stefanik, Michael Bost, Ben Cline, Mariannette Miller-Meeks, Tracey Mann, Ted Budd, Warren Davidson, Julia Letlow, Brian Babin, Ralph Norman, Greg Steube, Scott Fitzgerald, Guy Reschenthaler, Randy Weber, Claudia Tenney, Doug LaMalfa, Tom McClintock, Blake Moore, Burgess Owens and Gus Bilirakis.

"At their core, colleges and universities were designed to provide students and faculty with an environment to freely exchange ideas, challenge previously held beliefs, and create a venue for students to have free and open debate," said Murphy. "This democratic idea is the foundation of discourse, but right now, the First Amendment is under attack on our campuses. To be clear, I want the socialist, communist students to feel as free to express themselves as the capitalists, and everyone in between. That's what our country is about. Free speech is NOT unilateral. I'm proud to lead this important resolution to urge our government to make free speech protections in higher education a bipartisan priority."

"Intellectual diversity and the ability to disagree with one another makes our Republic the best in the world. While free speech continues to be attacked on campus, I'm proud to join dozens of my colleagues and Rep. Murphy in affirming the importance of the First Amendment at institutions of higher learning," said Cammack. "The House Campus Free Speech Caucus is behind this effort and will continue to ensure all have the ability to express themselves freely, no matter where they go to school."

"Fostering critical thinking and inquiry are the purpose of higher education, but too many institutions are cracking down on students' right to free speech," said Stefanik. "I experienced this myself as a conservative student at Harvard College, and it is devastating to witness that this has become a crisis across America. I am proud to stand with my colleagues to protect Constitutional liberties on college campuses."

Background: This House Resolution comes as earlier this week, Reps. Murphy, Stefanik, and Cammack hosted the first ever Campus Free Speech Roundtable to highlight the importance of intellectual diversity in higher education and to provide lawmakers, outspoken alumni, and stakeholders with an opportunity to share their personal and professional experiences with free speech violations in institutions of higher learning. Earlier this year, Rep. Murphy introduced the Campus Free Speech Restoration Act that aims to protect free speech at colleges and universities. Rep. Murphy sits on the Education and Labor Committee where he is Ranking Member of the Higher Education and Workforce Investment Subcommittee.

The Daily Caller carried the exclusive on this resolution announcement. Read more here.