H.R. 140: Protecting Speech from Government Interference Act

Bill · 118th Congress (2023–2024). Passed House, 9 Mar 2023. Introduced 9 Jan 2023.

Official title: To amend title 5, United States Code, to prohibit Federal employees from advocating for censorship of viewpoints in their official capacity, and for other purposes.

Vote results

How each member voted

House

Yea (219): Harold Rogers (R-KY-5); Christopher H. Smith (R-NJ-4); Ken Calvert (R-CA-41); Frank D. Lucas (R-OK-3); Robert B. Aderholt (R-AL-4); Kay Granger (R-TX-12); Michael K. Simpson (R-ID-2); Pete Sessions (R-TX-17); Sam Graves (R-MO-6); Joe Wilson (R-SC-2); Michael C. Burgess (R-TX-26); John R. Carter (R-TX-31); Tom Cole (R-OK-4); Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL-26); Mike Rogers (R-AL-3); Michael R. Turner (R-OH-10); Darrell Issa (R-CA-48); Virginia Foxx (R-NC-5); Michael T. McCaul (R-TX-10); Patrick T. McHenry (R-NC-10); Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA-5); Gus M. Bilirakis (R-FL-12); Vern Buchanan (R-FL-16); Jim Jordan (R-OH-4); Doug Lamborn (R-CO-5); Adrian Smith (R-NE-3); Robert E. Latta (R-OH-5); Robert J. Wittman (R-VA-1); Steve Scalise (R-LA-1); Tim Walberg (R-MI-5); Brett Guthrie (R-KY-2); Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO-3); Tom McClintock (R-CA-5); Bill Posey (R-FL-8); Glenn Thompson (R-PA-15); Larry Bucshon (R-IN-8); Eric A. "Rick" Crawford (R-AR-1); Scott DesJarlais (R-TN-4); Jeff Duncan (R-SC-3); Charles J. "Chuck" Fleischmann (R-TN-3); Paul A. Gosar (R-AZ-9); H. Morgan Griffith (R-VA-9); Andy Harris (R-MD-1); Bill Huizenga (R-MI-4); Mike Kelly (R-PA-16); David Schweikert (R-AZ-1); Austin Scott (R-GA-8); Daniel Webster (R-FL-11); Steve Womack (R-AR-3); Mark E. Amodei (R-NV-2); Thomas Massie (R-KY-4); Andy Barr (R-KY-6); Richard Hudson (R-NC-9); David P. Joyce (R-OH-14); Doug LaMalfa (R-CA-1); Scott Perry (R-PA-10); Ann Wagner (R-MO-2); Randy K. Weber, Sr. (R-TX-14); Brad R. Wenstrup (R-OH-2); Roger Williams (R-TX-25); Jason Smith (R-MO-8); Rick W. Allen (R-GA-12); Brian Babin (R-TX-36); Mike Bost (R-IL-12); Earl L. "Buddy" Carter (R-GA-1); Tom Emmer (R-MN-6); Garret Graves (R-LA-6); Glenn Grothman (R-WI-6); J. French Hill (R-AR-2); Barry Loudermilk (R-GA-11); John R. Moolenaar (R-MI-2); Alexander X. Mooney (R-WV-2); Dan Newhouse (R-WA-4); Gary J. Palmer (R-AL-6); David Rouzer (R-NC-7); Elise M. Stefanik (R-NY-21); Bruce Westerman (R-AR-4); David G. Valadao (R-CA-22); Trent Kelly (R-MS-1); Darin LaHood (R-IL-16); Warren Davidson (R-OH-8); James Comer (R-KY-1); Jodey C. Arrington (R-TX-19); Don Bacon (R-NE-2); Jim Banks (R-IN-3); Jack Bergman (R-MI-1); Andy Biggs (R-AZ-5); A. Drew Ferguson IV (R-GA-3); Brian K. Fitzpatrick (R-PA-1); Clay Higgins (R-LA-3); Mike Johnson (R-LA-4); David Kustoff (R-TN-8); Brian J. Mast (R-FL-21); John H. Rutherford (R-FL-5); Lloyd Smucker (R-PA-11); Ron Estes (R-KS-4); Ralph Norman (R-SC-5); John R. Curtis (R-UT-3); Debbie Lesko (R-AZ-8); Michael Cloud (R-TX-27); Troy Balderson (R-OH-12); Kevin Hern (R-OK-1); James R. Baird (R-IN-4); Tim Burchett (R-TN-2); Ben Cline (R-VA-6); Dan Crenshaw (R-TX-2); Russ Fulcher (R-ID-1); Lance Gooden (R-TX-5); Mark E. Green (R-TN-7); Michael Guest (R-MS-3); Dusty Johnson (R-SD-AL); John Joyce (R-PA-13); Daniel Meuser (R-PA-9); Carol D. Miller (R-WV-1); Greg Pence (R-IN-6); Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA-14); John W. Rose (R-TN-6); Chip Roy (R-TX-21); Pete Stauber (R-MN-8); Bryan Steil (R-WI-1); William R. Timmons IV (R-SC-4); Jefferson Van Drew (R-NJ-2); Michael Waltz (R-FL-6); Claudia Tenney (R-NY-24); Dan Bishop (R-NC-8); Gregory F. Murphy (R-NC-3); Mike Garcia (R-CA-27); Thomas P. Tiffany (R-WI-7); Ryan K. Zinke (R-MT-1); Cliff Bentz (R-OR-2); Stephanie I. Bice (R-OK-5); Lauren Boebert (R-CO-3); Kat Cammack (R-FL-3); Jerry L. Carl (R-AL-1); Andrew S. Clyde (R-GA-9); Byron Donalds (R-FL-19); Pat Fallon (R-TX-4); Randy Feenstra (R-IA-4); Michelle Fischbach (R-MN-7); Scott Fitzgerald (R-WI-5); Scott Franklin (R-FL-18); Andrew R. Garbarino (R-NY-2); Carlos A. Gimenez (R-FL-28); Tony Gonzales (R-TX-23); Bob Good (R-VA-5); Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA-14); Diana Harshbarger (R-TN-1); Ashley Hinson (R-IA-2); Ronny Jackson (R-TX-13); Young Kim (R-CA-40); Jake LaTurner (R-KS-2); Nancy Mace (R-SC-1); Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY-11); Tracey Mann (R-KS-1); Lisa C. McClain (R-MI-9); Mary E. Miller (R-IL-15); Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA-1); Barry Moore (R-AL-2); Blake D. Moore (R-UT-1); Troy E. Nehls (R-TX-22); Jay Obernolte (R-CA-23); Burgess Owens (R-UT-4); August Pfluger (R-TX-11); Matthew M. Rosendale, Sr. (R-MT-2); Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL-27); Victoria Spartz (R-IN-5); Michelle Steel (R-CA-45); Beth Van Duyne (R-TX-24); Julia Letlow (R-LA-5); Jake Ellzey (R-TX-6); Mike Carey (R-OH-15); Mike Flood (R-NE-1); Brad Finstad (R-MN-1); Rudy Yakym III (R-IN-2); Mark Alford (R-MO-4); Aaron Bean (R-FL-4); Josh Brecheen (R-OK-2); Eric Burlison (R-MO-7); Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-OR-5); Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ-6); Mike Collins (R-GA-10); Elijah Crane (R-AZ-2); Anthony D’Esposito (R-NY-4); Monica De La Cruz (R-TX-15); John S. Duarte (R-CA-13); Chuck Edwards (R-NC-11); Mike Ezell (R-MS-4); Russell Fry (R-SC-7); Harriet M. Hageman (R-WY-AL); Erin Houchin (R-IN-9); Wesley Hunt (R-TX-38); John James (R-MI-10); Thomas H. Kean, Jr. (R-NJ-7); Jennifer A. Kiggans (R-VA-2); Kevin Kiley (R-CA-3); Nick LaLota (R-NY-1); Nicholas A. Langworthy (R-NY-23); Michael Lawler (R-NY-17); Laurel M. Lee (R-FL-15); Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL-13); Morgan Luttrell (R-TX-8); Richard McCormick (R-GA-6); Max L. Miller (R-OH-7); Cory Mills (R-FL-7); Marcus J. Molinaro (R-NY-19); Nathaniel Moran (R-TX-1); Zachary Nunn (R-IA-3); Andrew Ogles (R-TN-5); Keith Self (R-TX-3); Dale W. Strong (R-AL-5); Derrick Van Orden (R-WI-3); Brandon Williams (R-NY-22); Bill Johnson (R-OH-6); Chris Stewart (R-UT-2); Ken Buck (R-CO-4); Matt Gaetz (R-FL-1); Mike Gallagher (R-WI-8); Kelly Armstrong (R-ND-AL); George Santos (R-NY-3).

Nay (206): Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD-5); Marcy Kaptur (D-OH-9); Nancy Pelosi (D-CA-11); Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ-6); Richard E. Neal (D-MA-1); Rosa L. DeLauro (D-CT-3); Maxine Waters (D-CA-43); Jerrold Nadler (D-NY-12); Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (D-GA-2); James E. Clyburn (D-SC-6); Anna G. Eshoo (D-CA-16); Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (D-VA-3); Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY-7); Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS-2); Lloyd Doggett (D-TX-37); Zoe Lofgren (D-CA-18); Earl Blumenauer (D-OR-3); Danny K. Davis (D-IL-7); Diana DeGette (D-CO-1); James P. McGovern (D-MA-2); Brad Sherman (D-CA-32); Adam Smith (D-WA-9); Gregory W. Meeks (D-NY-5); Barbara Lee (D-CA-12); John B. Larson (D-CT-1); Grace F. Napolitano (D-CA-31); Janice D. Schakowsky (D-IL-9); Mike Thompson (D-CA-4); Rick Larsen (D-WA-2); Betty McCollum (D-MN-4); Stephen F. Lynch (D-MA-8); Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ-7); C. A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD-2); David Scott (D-GA-13); Linda T. Sánchez (D-CA-38); Jim Costa (D-CA-21); Henry Cuellar (D-TX-28); Al Green (D-TX-9); Gwen Moore (D-WI-4); Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL-25); Doris O. Matsui (D-CA-7); Kathy Castor (D-FL-14); Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY-9); Steve Cohen (D-TN-9); Joe Courtney (D-CT-2); Henry C. "Hank" Johnson, Jr. (D-GA-4); John P. Sarbanes (D-MD-3); André Carson (D-IN-7); Gerald E. Connolly (D-VA-11); James A. Himes (D-CT-4); Chellie Pingree (D-ME-1); Paul Tonko (D-NY-20); Mike Quigley (D-IL-5); Judy Chu (D-CA-28); John Garamendi (D-CA-8); Bill Foster (D-IL-11); William R. Keating (D-MA-9); Terri A. Sewell (D-AL-7); Frederica S. Wilson (D-FL-24); Dina Titus (D-NV-1); Kweisi Mfume (D-MD-7); Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR-1); Suzan K. DelBene (D-WA-1); Joyce Beatty (D-OH-3); Ami Bera (D-CA-6); Julia Brownley (D-CA-26); Matt Cartwright (D-PA-8); Tony Cárdenas (D-CA-29); Lois Frankel (D-FL-22); Jared Huffman (D-CA-2); Hakeem S. Jeffries (D-NY-8); Daniel T. Kildee (D-MI-8); Derek Kilmer (D-WA-6); Ann M. Kuster (D-NH-2); Grace Meng (D-NY-6); Scott H. Peters (D-CA-50); Mark Pocan (D-WI-2); Raul Ruiz (D-CA-25); Eric Swalwell (D-CA-14); Mark Takano (D-CA-39); Juan Vargas (D-CA-52); Marc A. Veasey (D-TX-33); Robin L. Kelly (D-IL-2); Katherine M. Clark (D-MA-5); Alma S. Adams (D-NC-12); Donald Norcross (D-NJ-1); Pete Aguilar (D-CA-33); Donald S. Beyer, Jr. (D-VA-8); Ed Case (D-HI-1); Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA-10); Debbie Dingell (D-MI-6); Ruben Gallego (D-AZ-3); Seth Moulton (D-MA-6); Norma J. Torres (D-CA-35); Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ-12); Bradley Scott Schneider (D-IL-10); Dwight Evans (D-PA-3); Nanette Diaz Barragán (D-CA-44); Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE-AL); Salud O. Carbajal (D-CA-24); J. Luis Correa (D-CA-46); Adriano Espaillat (D-NY-13); Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX-34); Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ-5); Steven Horsford (D-NV-4); Pramila Jayapal (D-WA-7); Ro Khanna (D-CA-17); Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL-8); Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-19); Jamie Raskin (D-MD-8); Darren Soto (D-FL-9); Jimmy Gomez (D-CA-34); Joseph D. Morelle (D-NY-25); Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA-5); Susan Wild (D-PA-7); Colin Z. Allred (D-TX-32); Sean Casten (D-IL-6); Angie Craig (D-MN-2); Jason Crow (D-CO-6); Sharice Davids (D-KS-3); Madeleine Dean (D-PA-4); Veronica Escobar (D-TX-16); Lizzie Fletcher (D-TX-7); Sylvia R. Garcia (D-TX-29); Jesús G. "Chuy" García (D-IL-4); Jared F. Golden (D-ME-2); Josh Harder (D-CA-9); Jahana Hayes (D-CT-5); Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA-6); Susie Lee (D-NV-3); Mike Levin (D-CA-49); Lucy McBath (D-GA-7); Joe Neguse (D-CO-2); Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY-14); Ilhan Omar (D-MN-5); Chris Pappas (D-NH-1); Katie Porter (D-CA-47); Ayanna Pressley (D-MA-7); Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ-11); Elissa Slotkin (D-MI-7); Abigail Davis Spanberger (D-VA-7); Greg Stanton (D-AZ-4); Haley M. Stevens (D-MI-11); Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-12); Lori Trahan (D-MA-3); David J. Trone (D-MD-6); Lauren Underwood (D-IL-14); Jennifer Wexton (D-VA-10); Jake Auchincloss (D-MA-4); Jamaal Bowman (D-NY-16); Cori Bush (D-MO-1); Sara Jacobs (D-CA-51); Kathy E. Manning (D-NC-6); Frank J. Mrvan (D-IN-1); Deborah K. Ross (D-NC-2); Marilyn Strickland (D-WA-10); Ritchie Torres (D-NY-15); Nikema Williams (D-GA-5); Troy A. Carter (D-LA-2); Melanie A. Stansbury (D-NM-1); Shontel M. Brown (D-OH-11); Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL-20); Mary Sattler Peltola (D-AK-AL); Patrick Ryan (D-NY-18); Becca Balint (D-VT-AL); Nikki Budzinski (D-IL-13); Yadira Caraveo (D-CO-8); Greg Casar (D-TX-35); Jasmine Crockett (D-TX-30); Donald G. Davis (D-NC-1); Christopher R. Deluzio (D-PA-17); Valerie P. Foushee (D-NC-4); Maxwell Frost (D-FL-10); Robert Garcia (D-CA-42); Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA-3); Daniel S. Goldman (D-NY-10); Val T. Hoyle (D-OR-4); Glenn Ivey (D-MD-4); Jonathan L. Jackson (D-IL-1); Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA-37); Greg Landsman (D-OH-1); Summer L. Lee (D-PA-12); Seth Magaziner (D-RI-2); Morgan McGarvey (D-KY-3); Robert Menendez (D-NJ-8); Jared Moskowitz (D-FL-23); Kevin Mullin (D-CA-15); Wiley Nickel (D-NC-13); Brittany Pettersen (D-CO-7); Delia C. Ramirez (D-IL-3); Andrea Salinas (D-OR-6); Hillary J. Scholten (D-MI-3); Eric Sorensen (D-IL-17); Emilia Strong Sykes (D-OH-13); Shri Thanedar (D-MI-13); Jill N. Tokuda (D-HI-2); Gabe Vasquez (D-NM-2); Jennifer L. McClellan (D-VA-4); Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX-18); Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-9); Adam B. Schiff (D-CA-30); Brian Higgins (D-NY-26); David N. Cicilline (D-RI-1); Donald M. Payne, Jr. (D-NJ-10); Andy Kim (D-NJ-3); Jeff Jackson (D-NC-14).

Not voting (9): Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO-5); Joaquin Castro (D-TX-20); Brendan F. Boyle (D-PA-2); Ted Lieu (D-CA-36); Neal P. Dunn (R-FL-2); Dean Phillips (D-MN-3); Kim Schrier (D-WA-8); W. Gregory Steube (R-FL-17); Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-NM-3).

Speaker, not listed (1): Kevin McCarthy (R-CA-20).

Not in office (10): Thomas R. Suozzi (D-NY-3); Gabe Amo (D-RI-1); Celeste Maloy (R-UT-2); Timothy M. Kennedy (D-NY-26); Vince Fong (R-CA-20); Michael A. Rulli (R-OH-6); Greg Lopez (R-CO-4); LaMonica McIver (D-NJ-10); Erica Lee Carter (D-TX-18); Tony Wied (R-WI-8).

Summary

Main subject: Adds a subchapter to title 5, United States Code, that prohibits federal employees from censoring lawful speech on interactive computer services, with law enforcement exceptions, penalties, and reporting requirements. Sec. 2

Its core areas: Prohibition on federal employee censorship of speech on interactive computer services; Law enforcement exceptions and advance reporting to Congress and the Office of Special Counsel; Disciplinary action and civil penalties enforced through the Office of Special Counsel; Attorney General compliance reports and annual employee training.

Unexpected Items: 2 provisions

These provisions fall outside the bill’s main subject or apply narrowly. This describes the text; it is not a judgment.

Not related to the bill’s main subject (1)

Different amount for specific places or groups (1)

What it does

Written automatically from the official text by Claude Sonnet 5.5, an AI model. Written 2 Oct 2026 and published after the automatic checks, without a person reading it first. Every line names the section it came from.

Sources