Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA)
To oppose EU hate speech laws and other digital media regulations, the House Judiciary Committee brought in three minor European figures who testified in support of legislation that would expand US First Amendment freedoms into Europe.
The Feb. 4, 2026 hearing, “Europe’s Threat to American Speech and Innovation: Part II,” highlighted Europe’s supposed “online censorship laws,” such as the European Union’s (EU) Digital Services Act (DSA) and the United Kingdom’s (UK) Online Safety Act (OSA).
According to the Republican-led committee, these European laws “threaten Americans’ right to speak freely online in the United States.”
Of course, the vast majority of European officials don’s support the Republican viewpoint and have argued that opposing their regulations undercuts their national sovereignty.
Democrats in the sharply divided committee also disagreed, saying we can’t compare minor inconveniences in EU law to the harsh treatment of citizens and press in Minnesota.
“We should focus on our First Amendment violations right here at home instead of pulling in people from other countries,” said Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) “That’s what this committee should be investigating.”
More European regulations, including the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), and Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), “target American companies and hurt innovation.”
Democrats disagreed. “Right now the most serious threat to American civil rights comes from our own government,” said Rep Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA).
The Feb. 4 hearing is a followup to the Judiciary’s Sept. 3, 2025 hearing about alleged threats to American free speech from the EU.
