{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://ogles.house.gov/media/press-releases/icymi-ogles-cruz-lead-effort-block-bidens-woke-preferred-pronoun-mandate", "ICYMI: Ogles, Cruz Lead Effort to Block\u00a0Biden\u2019s Woke \u2018Preferred Pronoun\u2019 Mandate", "2023-11-22", "2023", "2023-11", "Republican", "House", "TN", "Andrew Ogles", "O000175", "ogles.house.gov", "ogles", "https://ogles.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC - Congressman Andy Ogles (TN-05), joined by Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), introduced the Safeguarding Honest Speech Act, which would prevent federal departments and agencies from forcing employees and contractors to use an individual\u2019s \u2018preferred pronouns.\u2019 This bill comes after the Biden Administration\u2019s Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a new mandate that made failure to use \u2018preferred pronouns\u2019 a fireable offense for employees.\n\nRep. Ogles said, \u201cCompelled speech has no place in America. Can you imagine getting reprimanded or fired from your job for not using an individual\u2019s \u2018preferred pronouns\u2019? Unfortunately, that is exactly what the Biden regime has imposed in its latest guidance from the Department of Health and Human Services. The radical Left is actively coercing the speech of individuals \u2013 all in service of a delusional woke agenda. The American people shouldn\u2019t be asked by their government to subsidize violations of the Constitution of the United States. I\u2019m grateful for Senator Cruz\u2019s efforts to lead the fight in the Senate, and look forward to considering this legislation in the 118th Congress.\u201d\n\nSen. Cruz stated, \u201cI am proud to join Rep. Andy Ogles in introducing the Safeguarding Honest Speech Act. Forcing anyone to use pronouns that don\u2019t accord with a person\u2019s biological sex is an unconstitutional violation of the First Amendment. As the Supreme Court held, \u2018If there is any fixed star in our constitutional constellation, it is that no official, high or petty, can prescribe what shall be orthodox in politics, nationalism, religion, or other matters of opinion.\u2019 The government has no business compelling anyone to use pronouns that contradict biological reality.\u201d\n\nRep. Boebert said, \u201cIn a society built on freedom and expression, it's concerning to see government agencies like the Department of Health and Human Services imposing radical gender ideologies, with potential disciplinary action for not conforming to preferred pronouns. This goes against our democratic values; forced speech has no place in our Country. Kudos to Rep. Ogles for defending free speech in the workplace against the pressures of the 'woke' mob.\u2019\u2019\n\nRep. Biggs stated, \u201cWokeness continues to infiltrate the Biden Administration. Mandating radical gender terminology for federal employees is asinine. The Biden Administration\u2019s agencies should be prioritizing department readiness before anything else. I\u2019m grateful to co-sponsor Congressman Ogles\u2019s latest legislation that helps end this madness.\u201d\n\nRep. Gosar said, \u201cOur nation is already faced with woke, left-wing propaganda rewarding one person over another simply for holding preferred pronouns that may not align with their biological sex. Rather than furthering a division amongst the American people, the federal government has far greater problems to address than mandating using preferred pronouns as a condition of employment.\u201d\n\nRep. LaMalfa stated, \u201cFree speech doesn\u2019t mean forcing an individual\u2019s delusions down everyone\u2019s throats. An employee shouldn\u2019t have to worry about being fired for referring to their colleague by their correct, biological sex pronoun, and it's comical that legislators need to protect the right for an individual to say the truth: that boys are boys and girls are girls.\u201d\n\nRep. Duncan said, \u201cNo one should be forced to affirm the ludicrous belief that an individual can change their gender. The First Amendment protects truthful speech from being infringed or curtailed. I\u2019m proud to stand with Representative Ogles to ensure citizens are not forced to deny science that people are born either male or female and that you remain that gender for life.\u201d\n\nCosponsors: Reps. Lauren Boebert [CO-03], Jeff Duncan [SC-03], Doug LaMalfa [CA-01], Mary Miller [IL-15], Andy Biggs [AZ-05], Andy Harris [MD-01], Paul Gosar [AZ-09], Randy Weber [TX-14], Eli Crane [AZ-02], Ralph Norman [SC-05], Andrew Clyde [GA-09], Clay Higgins [LA-03].\n\nSupporting Groups: CatholicVote and Concerned Women for America.\n\nREAD WASHINGTON EXAMINER EXCLUSIVE\n\nBILL TEXT", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:01:09Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://ogles.house.gov/media/press-releases/icymi-ogles-cruz-lead-effort-block-bidens-woke-preferred-pronoun-mandate"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9345426224172115, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}