TRANSCRIPT: Leader Schumer Joins Senate And House Democrats To Introduce The “No Political Enemies Act”

Washington, D.C. - Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today joined Democratic members from both the House and Senate to introduce the "No Political Enemies Act," which will protect the Constitutionally enshrined right of freedom of speech and assembly. Below are Senator Schumer's remarks, which can also be viewed here:

Let's be very clear: political violence has no place in America. But let's also be clear-the Trump administration's campaign of threats against civil society and free speech, this is an assault on everything this country has stood for since the Constitution's been signed. One of the great hallmarks of our country is free speech, whether you agree or disagree. And this administration is trying to snuff it out. They don't want people to even speak when they don't like what they say. That is the road to autocracy.

The U.S. was built on the right to free speech, and some of us might not even agree with the expansive definitions that some of the courts have adopted on things like Citizens United-but it's a hallmark of America, it's a hallmark of America. And the right to organize, to advocate, to petition your government-those words [matter], no matter what the views are. That's the beating heart of our democracy. And there's an assault on democracy coming out of the White House and their allies. We see more evidence of it every day. Those who break the law of course, resort to any source of violence, got to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

But using the tragic death of Charlie Kirk as an excuse, as an excuse to supercharge a political witch hunt against critics is abhorrent, obnoxious, and as un-American as it gets. What happened to Charlie Kirk is, of course, abhorrent. And even more chilling is that we know all too well it wasn't an isolated incident. But it's repulsive-repulsive-that the Trump administration is perversely using this awful death as a predicate to supercharge their longstanding campaign against political opponents. How low can they go? Every day you wonder, and they go even lower. And this is unfortunately a very, very glaring example of just that.

It's not a new campaign. They've been engaged in an ever-escalating campaign to use the mighty power of the federal government to attack civil society. Whether it's Jimmy Kimmel, civil society organizations, or the Trump administration's perceived political enemies, its crusade is unending. And this is one of the saddest parts of all-because of congressional Republicans' obeisance to Trump, it's unchecked. Because they are scared to stand up to Trump. Where are they? Where are our Republican colleagues in denouncing this stuff? We don't hear from them.

But Democrats will not stand by. We will fight these abuses in the courts, in the court of public opinion, in Congress. So that's why I'm proud to stand with all of my colleagues here today to announce the No Political Enemies Act-legislation to stop the government from being used as a political weapon. The principle is simple: no president, Democrat - Republican, has the right to turn the federal government into an instrument of political revenge. That is what they're doing. That's what autocrats do. It's the kind of thing that Xi would do, that Putin would do. And Trump is doing it. It's disgraceful.

So it's not hard to understand. The NOPE Act says the government must not engage in politically motivated targeting and retaliation. The threats of political investigations and retaliation from the administration against their perceived political enemies strike at the heart-the beating heart of what this country is all about and has been since the days the farmers on Bunker Hill put down their plows and took up muskets for things like freedom of speech. So, Democrats won't stand for it. We'll fight back. We'll defend the freedoms that make America a democracy, not an autocracy. And I thank my colleagues for joining us.

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