Conservative viewpoints, and those who hold them, have long been branded a scarlet letter by Big Tech companies. Countless newspapers, online commentators, and even members of the White House staff have been either blocked or outright censored by both Twitter and Facebook. This is not a guerilla warfare tactic where outcroppings of bad actors are working to suppress free speech, it’s the tech companies themselves. How convenient that with less than two weeks until Election Day, Big Tech decides to make a blatant strike against free speech. Both I and my Republican colleagues on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee have a lot of questions for both Jack Dorsey and Mark Zuckerberg.

To that end, we sent a letter to Oversight Committee Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney expressing our concerns that both Twitter and Facebook are deliberately interfering in the 2020 election, and we requested an emergency hearing in response. In our letter, we outlined a recent series of instances where both Twitter and Facebook removed a report from the New York Post outlining then Vice-President Joe Biden and Hunter Biden’s previous involvement with a Ukrainian energy executive from the firm known as Burisma. Twitter and Facebook also censored the article and warned users that it is “potentially spammy or unsafe.” Both companies have done little to limit distribution of negative stories about President Trump or others who may share his political views. This effort to selectively limit speech based on political affiliation is very concerning.

It's time for answers, and I look forward to hearing back immediately from Chairwoman Maloney so that the actions from both Twitter and Facebook can be swiftly addressed.

Information On The HOPE Program

The Housing Opportunities and Prevention of Evictions (HOPE) Program is a new statewide initiative that may provide rent and utility assistance to eligible low- and moderate-income renters experiencing financial hardship due to the economic effects of COVID-19. The new program will help prevent evictions and utility disconnections in order to promote housing stability during the ongoing pandemic. HOPE is an initiative of the NC Office of Recovery and Resiliency, a division of the North Carolina Department of Public Safety. The HOPE Program is funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant program – Coronavirus and the U.S. Department of the Treasury Coronavirus Relief Funds.

For information on eligibility and the application process, click here.

A National Destination

This year, Hickory was rated in the top 50 best places to live in the United States, and it was ranked alongside Winston-Salem, Greensboro, and Fayetteville as some of the top destinations in the country. It’s no secret that the Fifth District has a lot to offer, and people are taking notice. As a hub for manufacturers, Hickory is a location that’s good for both business and working families. It is a hub for furniture, textiles, fiber-optic cable, and much more, and you’d be hard pressed to find an area of the world where their products haven’t touched. Congratulations, Hickory, we’re excited to see the growth and prosperity you bring your citizens in the years to come.

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Sincerely,