House Oversight Republicans Raise Concerns of White House Colluding With Big Tech to Censor Speech

US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued the Biden Administration's first advisory earlier this month, warning Americans about the "urgent threat of health misinformation" and its impact on the US' overall response to COVID-19. At the time, Murthy urged social media companies to ramp up their ability to combat the spread of misinformation.

Republican members of the House Oversight Committee have penned a letter to the Surgeon General, demanding he hand over all documents and communications related to the "Biden Administration's efforts to censor medical information and opinions on social media". 

The letter, organised by Reps. Bob Gibbs (R-OH), Byron Donalds (R-FL) and JamesComer (R-KY), came as a strong rebuke to the Surgeon General's July 15 advisory on the "threat of health misinformation." 

"The recurring themes: censorship and division," House Oversight Republicans wrote. "You suggest American families are lying to each other, children should censor their classmates, journalists be the gatekeepers of fact and censor views that do not conform with the latest in elite consensus, and Big Tech be the arbiter of credibility and suppress debate and discussion." 

🚨JUST NOW🚨@RepBobGibbs, @RepDonaldsPress, @RepJamesComer, & Oversight Republicans called on U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy to provide information regarding the Biden Administration’s efforts to censor medical information & opinions on social media.https://t.co/bM0tk3FMfs

— Oversight Committee Republicans (@GOPoversight) July 23, 2021

The GOP lawmakers also raised concerns that the White House may be "colluding with Big Tech", citing White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki's recent announcement that the White House would be flagging "problematic posts" on Facebook. 

"It is clear that the Biden Administration’s goal is to actively censor the American people," House Oversight Republicans declared. "This is particularly concerning considering Big Tech’s collusion with the science community to suppress the theory COVID-19 originated in the Wuhan Institute of Virology — a theory the Biden Administration recently admitted is likely." 

Per the letter, the Surgeon General has until 6 August to provide the GOP lawmakers with an array of communications, including all communications related to his advisory on health misinformation. 

"It should concern every American of every political stripe that Big Government is teaming up with Big Tech to merge into Big Brother," Gibbs said in a statement provided to Fox News. Donalds also commented on their oversight effort against censorship, telling the outlet that Americans should have "unfettered information and make decisions for themselves".