Payam Javan: On March 9, the House approved a bill that would forbid the federal government from working with Big Tech to restrict lawful speech.

The bill, was filed by Rep. James Comer, the chairman of the House Oversight Committee.

Before the vote, proponents of the measure criticized the federal government-Big Tech alliance for its attacks on free speech, which included stifling conservative views.

The Hatch Act, which forbids civil federal employees—aside from the president and vice president—from taking part in certain political causes, including campaigning, would be expanded by the pending bill. The law would not stop the federal government from collaborating with Big Tech to tackle illegal content, such as child exploitation and pornography, drug trafficking, and human trafficking.

The law was introduced in response to the Twitter Files, which were made public at Elon Musk’s request and included disclosures from notable journalists like Matt Taibbi.