Crane [Hearing on DHS Silencing of Dissent]: Do you think that it's censorship for the federal government to be reaching out to social media platforms and asking them to remove postings from American citizens?

Iranga Kahangama [DHS]: The Department of Homeland Security does not engage in content moderation conversations with social media companies.

Crane: That's not what I asked you. Do you study history, Mr. K?

Kahangama: Generally.

Crane: What about you, Mrs. Harrington?

Harrington [CISA]: Generally.

Crane: Typically what types of governments censor their own people?

Harrington: Authoritative.

Kahangama: I would agree.

Crane: Do totalitarian governments do that?

Kahangama: [shrugs shoulders]

Crane: Yes? No? It's not hard.

Kahangama: Broadly, yes.

Crane: Do communistic governments do that? Socialistic governments do that. Why do you think they do that? Why do you think that they try and control the speech of their own people?

Harrington: Yes, I think that's probably correct. Probably political control.

Kahangama: I would agree.

Crane: Do you think it's important that we try not to become like them?

Kahangama: I believe this government is not like them. I believe we are respectful of our Constitutional rights. We ensure that all the work we are doing is protected by our Civil Liberties and Civil Rights Offices.

Crane: I would respectfully disagree with that point of view. As a matter of fact, if you were paying attention to some of the evidence produced in the last panel, you would know that. As somebody who is involved in law enforcement, that was evidence, sir…those emails, going from our government to social media platforms, flagging, and requesting the removal of posts and speech from American citizens. So you can sit there and you can give me all the little canned answers you want, but when you actually open your mind and are willing to look at the evidence being presented, it's obvious.