Leadership Quote by Fred Upton

“For those broadcasters who are less than responsible” is Washington-speak doing two jobs at once: naming a villain without naming names, and making regulation sound like common sense rather than ideology. Fred Upton isn’t talking about broadcasters in the abstract; he’s constructing a moral category - the bad actors - so the audience can feel pro-speech and pro-crackdown simultaneously. It’s a neat political trick: you don’t have to argue against “free expression” if you frame the target as “irresponsibility.”

The metaphor of the FCC needing “sharper teeth” is the real payload. Teeth imply bite, pain, and consequence - enforcement that’s not merely symbolic. That language matters because the FCC is often perceived as a technocratic referee, bogged down in process and politely worded notices. Upton is signaling impatience with bureaucratic softness and inviting voters to imagine a tougher cop on the beat. It’s law-and-order rhetoric applied to the airwaves.

Contextually, this line sits comfortably in eras of broadcast panic: indecency controversies, misinformation scares, or moments when new media norms outpace existing rules. The subtext is that the marketplace won’t self-correct fast enough, and reputational pressure isn’t punishment. Only the state can impose it.

There’s also a subtle hedge in “to enforce the law.” Upton isn’t calling for new censorship powers; he’s claiming the moral high ground of legality. It’s an attempt to make a political preference - more aggressive oversight - sound like mere maintenance of public standards.