Testimony of Gene Kimmelman to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

October 8, 2025, Testimony: "Democracy in the United States is built upon a foundation of constitutional speech protections plus a process of open debate and elections, fueled by independent and diverse media. I believe our democracy cannot survive unless we prevent government from coercing or suppressing protected speech. Nor can it survive without strong competition along independent and diversely owned information and media distribution platforms. A robust marketplace of ideas requires strong protection against both public interference in open debate and the exercise of private market power that distorts or blocks public discourse. I am concerned that recent statements and actions from government officials, like the Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), appear designed to unduly pressure tech platforms and media distribution companies to favor certain speech and suppress the views of others. I am equally concerned that a wave of media consolidation driven by the current FCC’s efforts to relax or eliminate ownership rules will concentrate local media power in the hands of a few national companies, reduce the diversity of national media players, and thereby empower a few media tycoons to distort the most popular sources of information in our society."