Amy Klobuchar's Health Misinformation Act has aged poorly

Sen. Amy Klobuchar introduced the Health Misinformation Act on July 22, 2021 , which would have granted broad new powers to the secretary of Health and Human Services .

The bill would have established that the federal government could use a public health emergency as a pretext to erode vital free speech protections at the whims of HHS .

The First Amendment vastly constrains the government's ability to make determinations about what kinds of speech are valid.

Jay Bhattacharya , President Donald Trump 's pick to lead the NIH , appeared for his confirmation hearing on Wednesday .

He was known for making thoughtful criticisms of the government's handling of COVID-19 .

For speaking up against compulsory lockdowns, masking, and vaccination, he argues that this was done at the behest of the Biden administration.