Section 5.2 - Q1 - What Does Project 2025 Say?

“The FCC should promote freedom of speech, unleash economic opportunity, ensure that every American has a fair shot at next-generation connectivity, and enable the private sector to create good-paying jobs through pro-growth reforms that support a diversity of viewpoints, ensure secure and competitive communications networks, modernize outdated infrastructure rules, and represent good stewardship of taxpayer dollars.”

Citation: Project 2025, Section 5.2: Federal Communications Commission, Brendan Carr, page 877, paragraph 1

Context:

So begins this section, with the above mission statement. A few of those things, such as promoting freedom of speech, “unleashing economic opportunity”, and “enable the private sector to create good-paying jobs” are more than a little beyond the current purview of the FCC.

While the FCC enforces rules on broadcasting content and decency standards, it doesn’t have direct authority over the broader concept of freedom of speech, which is a constitutional right protected by the First Amendment. The FCC can regulate indecency on public airwaves but cannot broadly regulate or “promote free speech” across all communications platforms.

Job creation is also not the primary mandate of the FCC. I’m not sure what Carr means by “unleashing economic opportunity,” unless he’s envisioning that updating outdated infrastructure is going to create jobs. In which case, the statement makes more sense (but still doesn’t make job creation a responsibility of the FCC.)

Full contextual analysis of Section 5.2: Federal Communications Commission here.

Section: Section 5.2: Federal Communications Commission

Categories: First Amendment, The FCC