Sen. Ted Cruz (R., Texas) gave an impassioned speech on the Senate floor Tuesday night, arguing against a proposed Democratic constitutional amendment that would allow Congress to regulate campaign spending.
Cruz said the the amendment's broad grant of authority to regulate the use of money to influence elections could stretch to banning books, movies, and restricting the activity of organizations such as the NAACP.
"In the Democratic Senate of 2014, citizens' free speech rights are tools for partisan warfare," said Cruz.
Cruz said the amendment is "bar none, the most radical proposal that has been considered by the United States Senate in the time I have served. Its effects would be breathtaking."
"Perhaps I have forgotten my spectacles," Cruz remarked, "but I don't see in the current First Amendment 'Congress can make reasonable restrictions on the free speech.' It doesn't say that. It says Congress shall make no law abridging the free speech."
"The First Amendment is not about reasonable speech, the First Amendment was enacted to protect unreasonable speech. I for one certainly don't want our speech limited to that speech that elected politicians in Washington think is reasonable," Cruz said, reminding the Senate that the Alien and Sedition Acts were also once considered reasonable.