O’Neil and Perkins Testify on the SPLC’s Use of Government Power

A U.S. House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government hearing titled “Partisan and Profitable: The SPLC’s Influence on Federal Civil Rights Policy” was held in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, December 16, 2025.

The hearing examined the Southern Poverty Law Center’s (SPLC) relationship with the Biden-Harris administration and its influence on federal civil-rights policy. Republican lawmakers alleged that the SPLC targets Christian and conservative Americans, undermining their constitutional rights to free speech and association.

Lawmakers also scrutinized the SPLC’s history, funding, and its controversial and widely criticized “Hate Map.”

Featured in this video clip are opening statements from Tyler O’Neil of The Daily Signal and Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council.

O’Neil is a senior editor at The Daily Signal, a conservative news outlet founded by The Heritage Foundation. He previously served as managing editor before shifting his focus primarily to writing in early 2025.

Perkins has served as president of the Family Research Council since August 2003. A longtime pro-life and pro-family policy leader, he previously served in the Louisiana legislature after being elected in 1996.