Topic: House Rule 11

A House hearing on censorship features Robert F. Kennedy Jr. defending the First Amendment as the basis for democracy. Virgin Islands delegate Stacey Plaskett moves to go into executive session, citing alleged anti-Semitic and anti-Asian comments made by Kennedy. The proceedings highlight a sharp divide over whether hateful rhetoric is protected speech or if government intervention constitutes unconstitutional censorship.

Democrats attempted to move a congressional hearing into executive session to prevent Robert F. Kennedy Jr. from testifying, citing alleged anti-Semitic and anti-Asian comments. The hearing, focused on the weaponization of federal censorship, saw immediate procedural clashes as members debated whether Kennedy’s previous statements regarding ethnically targeted microbes violated House rules. Kennedy eventually spoke despite repeated interruptions and attempts to censure his testimony before it began.