The Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday postponed plans to vote on subpoenas to compel the CEOs of Twitter and Facebook to testify on allegations of anti-conservative bias after some panel Republicans expressed reservation about the maneuver.
President Donald Trump and his Republican allies have scorched the two social media companies in recent days over their handling of disputed New York Post reports alleging ties between Joe Biden and his son’s business interests.
Gameplan in flux: GOP Judiciary leaders had announced plans to hold a markup Tuesday on whether to subpoena Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey to testify on allegations the company's decisions on user posts stifle conservative viewpoints, which Twitter denies. Chair Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) later said the planned vote would also target Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
The panel announced Monday it will now consider whether to authorize the subpoenas at a high-profile executive session Thursday where it is separately expected to approve Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett. The committee said in a statement it will continue to negotiate with the companies "to allow for voluntary testimony" by the CEOs, but that if an agreement is not reached the panel will move ahead with a vote on the subpoenas "at a date to be determined."
The ask: The subpoenas would require the tech moguls to testify on the alleged "suppression and/or censorship" of the New York Post reporting and on "any other content moderation policies, practices, or actions that may interfere with or influence elections for federal office," according to a document released by the committee Monday.
Not everyone sold: Judiciary staff has indicated internally that plans for the vote were delayed in part due to some GOP panel members wavering on whether to support the action, according to one Senate GOP aide, who spoke anonymously to discuss private negotiations. Republican officials have also expressed trepidation about how quickly the committee has moved to vote on the subpoenas, the aide said. A committee spokesperson did not immediately offer comment on the matter.
But they’re not off the hook yet: Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who chairs Judiciary’s Subcommittee on the Constitution, told reporters he’s expecting the committee to hear testimony from both Dorsey and Zuckerberg “shortly” whether they come willingly or not.
“One way or another, either voluntarily or pursuant to subpoena, they will testify and they will testify before the election,” Cruz said.
Zuckerberg and Dorsey are separately slated to testify alongside Google CEO Sundar Pichai next Wednesday for a Senate Commerce Committee hearing on the internet industry’s prized liability protections under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.
Cruz, who sits on both Judiciary and Commerce, said he believes each panel should hold their own hearing with the tech CEOs ahead of Nov. 3. “I believe we need a separate hearing in Judiciary because the issues being discussed in the two committees are different,” Cruz said.
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October 20, 2020 at 06:47AM
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Senate panel delays vote to subpoena Twitter, Facebook CEOs as some Republicans waver - POLITICO
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