This Senate resolution says that comments made by Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr on September 17, 2025, threatening to penalize ABC and Disney over a monologue by Jimmy Kimmel were dangerous and unconstitutional. The resolution cites the First Amendment and says the FCC does not have authority to censor or punish broadcasters for editorial decisions. It quotes Chairman Carr saying, "we can do this the easy way or the hard way," and says that after his comments an ABC affiliate preempted the program and ABC and Disney suspended Mr. Kimmel, showing a coercive effect. The resolution also notes past public statements by Carr supporting free speech, and it concludes by condemning his actions, affirming the importance of the First Amendment, and calling on him to retract the threats.
The Senate is formally expressing its opinion that the FCC chairman's public threats were improper and unconstitutional. The resolution condemns those threats, affirms broadcaster independence, and asks Chairman Carr to retract his statements and respect constitutional limits. No publicly available information on immediate legal changes, penalties, or regulatory actions is included in the resolution.
No publicly available information.
Supporters say Chairman Carr abused his official power by pressuring private broadcasters over protected political commentary. They argue his comments had a chilling effect on free speech because an affiliate preempted the show and ABC and Disney suspended the host. The resolution frames the comments as a betrayal of the chairman's duty to uphold constitutional limits.
No publicly available information on opposition views is included in the resolution text.