Sign up for our daily briefing
Make your busy days simpler with the Axios AM and PM newsletters. Catch up on what's new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.
Catch up on the day's biggest business stories
Subscribe to the Axios Closer newsletter for insights into the day’s business news and trends and why they matter.
Sign up for Axios Pro Rata
Dive into the world of dealmakers across VC, PE and M&A with Axios Pro Rata. Delivered daily to your inbox by Dan Primack and Kia Kokalitcheva.
Sports news worthy of your time
Binge on the stats and stories that drive the sports world with the Axios Sports newsletter. Sign up for free.
Tech news worthy of your time
Get our smart take on technology from the Valley and D.C. with Axios Login. Sign up for free.
Get the inside stories
Get an insider's guide to the new White House with Axios Sneak Peek. Sign up for free.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Want a daily digest of the top Denver news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Want a daily digest of the top Des Moines news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Des Moines newsletter.
Want a daily digest of the top Twin Cities news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities
Want a daily digest of the top Tampa Bay news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Tampa Bay newsletter.
Want a daily digest of the top Charlotte news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte
Want a daily digest of the top Nashville news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Nashville newsletter.
Want a daily digest of the top Columbus news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Columbus newsletter.
Want a daily digest of the top Dallas news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Dallas newsletter.
Want a daily digest of the top Austin news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Austin newsletter.
Want a daily digest of the top Atlanta news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Atlanta newsletter.
Want a daily digest of the top Philadelphia news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Philadelphia newsletter.
Want a daily digest of the top Chicago news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Chicago newsletter.
Sign up for Axios NW Arkansas
Stay up-to-date on the most important and interesting stories affecting NW Arkansas, authored by local reporters
Want a daily digest of the top DC news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios DC newsletter.
Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey. Photo: Teresa Kroeger/Getty Images for Thurgood Marshall College Fund
Republican members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee are giving Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey until the end of Friday to decide whether he will voluntarily testify in front of their committee on Sept. 5, according to a committee source.
Why it matters: Members of Congress have been critical of Twitter and other tech firms over the past week for not sending high-level executives to testify. They argue that this shows the tech companies aren't taking election manipulation and other controversies on their platforms seriously.
In a call with a Twitter lobbyist on Thursday, committee staffers gave Dorsey three options:
- Testify voluntarily on Sept. 5, when he is also expected to testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee on election interferences
- Testify voluntarily during the week of Sept. 24
- Face a subpoena from the committee that would force him to testify that week
The deadline: Dorsey has until close of business on Friday to decide whether he'll testify on Sept. 5, the committee source said. If Twitter says no to that date, then negotiations will shift to the week of Sept. 24. A spokesperson for the company declined to comment.
The bigger picture: House Republicans are frustrated over what they see as censorship of conservative accounts on Twitter and other online platforms, though there has never been strong evidence that major web platforms were deliberately designed to limit the reach of right-leaning voices.
Twitter has faced blowback on Capitol Hill in the past. Top Senate Intelligence Committee Democrat Mark Warner criticized the company for an "inadequate" briefing on election interference last year.
It's not just Twitter. Earlier Thursday, Sen. Intel Committee Chairman Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) declined an offer from Google for their senior vice president and general counsel Kent Walker to testify alongside Facebook and Twitter in September. He told the Washington Post: "I told them I wasn't accepting the Senior Vice President."
Bottom line: A congressional subpoena would put immense pressure on Twitter as it faces criticism from both sides of the aisle.