The House Education and Workforce Committee’s Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development, chaired by Rep. Burgess Owens (R-UT), convened a hearing titled “Speech or Silence? The Future of the First Amendment in Higher Education” on April 29, 2026. The hearing examined growing concerns over free expression and intellectual diversity on American college campuses.
Citing Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) survey data, Chairman Owens presented troubling statistics: 59 percent of students report self-censoring around peers at least monthly, 71 percent believe shouting down speakers is acceptable, 54 percent would block other students from attending campus speeches, and 34 percent believe using violence to stop a speech is justified.
The hearing addressed the legal obligations of public universities to uphold First Amendment protections—including free speech, assembly, and religious freedom—and the responsibility of private institutions to abide by their own stated policies. Witnesses discussed challenges faced by students in religious, political, and single-sex organizations, as well as recent political violence that underscored the stakes of campus intolerance.
Republicans emphasized the need for congressional oversight and institutional accountability to ensure colleges protect rather than suppress dissenting viewpoints, framing free expression as foundational to both academic mission and democratic health.