[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 44 (Tuesday, March 9, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1409-S1410]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                               Censorship

  Mr. COTTON. Mr. President, most Americans know that there are two 
sexes, male and female, and that sex is rooted in science. Most 
Americans also know that we ought to treat all people, including those 
who feel conflicted about their gender, with respect and dignity, 
without sacrificing the truth in the process.
  These beliefs are now under attack from some of the most powerful 
corporations in the history of the world. Just a few weeks ago, while 
House Democrats were passing their far-left Equality Act, the leftwing 
media was busy canceling Dr. Seuss, Amazon quietly erased a book from 
its online store without notice, without warning, without explanation. 
That book is ``When Harry Became Sally: Responding to the Transgender 
Moment by Ryan Anderson.''
  Amazon claims it banned this book for violating its brandnew policy 
on ``hate speech.'' Of course, that excuse is arbitrary and patently 
false. You can go to Amazon right now--right now you can go to Amazon 
on your phone or on your computer and buy copies of actually hateful 
books. You can get Hitler's ``Mein Kampf'' shipped to your door with 
free Amazon Prime delivery. You can get the ``Unabomber Manifesto,'' 
written by a serial killer who murdered 3 people and maimed 23 others. 
You can even get ``How to Blow up a Pipeline.'' I assume the title 
speaks for itself. All those books are available for purchase on Amazon 
right now, one click away. But Amazon wants you to believe that a 
conservative book is somehow beyond the pale, unacceptably hateful, 
literally worse than Hitler, as they like to say.
  My office asked Amazon to send us the exact passages from ``When 
Harry Became Sally'' that it deemed so hateful that it couldn't even 
sell the book on its website. Shocking surprise, I know, they never got 
back to us. That is because the book doesn't say anything hateful. To 
the contrary, the book makes very clear that we should treat people who 
feel conflicted about their gender with the same respect and compassion 
that are due to all people. To quote the author, ``We should have 
abundant compassion and charity and patience with people who feel this 
form of alienation. But we also need to insist on telling the truth . . 
. ''
  That is not hate. That is far from it. The author's real offense, his 
only offense, was telling the truth. He said calmly and compassionately 
that boys are boys and girls are girls. And the richest man in the 
world banned his book from his company's platform.
  But, of course, you don't have to agree with the commonsense historic 
understanding of gender in order to acknowledge how dangerous it is for 
one of the biggest corporations in the history of the world to start 
banning books because while Amazon's censorship may start with 
conservative views, it could easily mutate to censor other views that 
offend Jeff Bezos and his bottom line. Perhaps Amazon will come after 
union organizers next since they are trying to bust up a union election 
in Alabama or maybe environmental activists or maybe trustbusters, 
since so many people are talking about potential antitrust violations 
in the world of Big Tech.
  And even if Amazon goes only this far and no further, the damage of 
free

[[Page S1410]]

speech has already been done. Books like ``When Harry Became Sally'' 
won't get published anymore. Writers who hold unfashionable opinions 
that just a few days ago were considered basic mainstream views of a 
large majority of Americans, may decide to self-censor, stay silent.
  The virtual book burning may spread to other companies. Maybe Amazon 
will put a book burning app on its Kindle so readers can drag books 
from its catalog into the virtual bonfire.
  Political correctness will only grow more oppressive if its 
enforcers, like Amazon, don't face some consequences for their actions. 
Amazon, for instance, makes billions of dollars each year hosting 
websites and storing data for the government. Almost all of Amazon's 
profit is made in these enterprise services, not in its consumer-facing 
retail business. Those are our tax dollars flowing to a company that 
uses its power to censor the beliefs of a large majority of Americans. 
Perhaps it is time for lawmakers to reconsider whether these contracts 
are in the best interest of our country.
  I also note Amazon is the country's largest bookseller, selling three 
out of every four e-books in America. It is time for lawmakers to 
evaluate whether Amazon's practices are consistent with our antitrust 
laws or whether antitrust laws need to be updated to address this type 
of behavior from a monopolistic firm. We better hurry, though, because 
maybe they will ban all books on antitrust and monopoly behavior before 
we have a chance to study the question.
  I will close by quoting from the book that Amazon banned, which 
predicted the very events we are witnessing here today:

       If trans activists succeed in their political agenda, our 
     nation's children will be indoctrinated in a harmful 
     ideology, and some will live by its own lies about their own 
     bodies, at great harm to themselves physically, 
     psychologically, and socially. Lives will be ruined, but 
     pointing out the damage will be forbidden. Dissent from the 
     transgender worldview will be punished in schools, 
     workplaces, and medical clinics. Trying to live in accordance 
     with the truth will be made harder.

  This is not a fight over hate or bigotry, respect or compassion. It 
is a battle over truth itself, the truth of who we are as human beings 
and the fundamental freedom to speak that truth or any other truth 
without fear.
  Throughout our history, Americans have never surrendered to an 
oppressive tyranny of opinion, whether a majority or, in this case, a 
small but highly influential minority, and we won't be cowed in silence 
today. We will fight for what is true. We will fight for the freedom to 
say it. No matter what the cultural forces arrayed against us do, we 
will never back down.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Ms. Sinema). The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.


                   recognition of the majority leader

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The majority leader is recognized.