Dear Editor,
Former VP Mike Pence and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) disagree about many things. But they both introduced bills to protect reporters and their sources.
In 2005, then-U.S. Representative
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Dear Editor,
Former VP Mike Pence and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) disagree about many things. But they both introduced bills to protect reporters and their sources.
In 2005, then-U.S. Representative Michael Pence (R-IN) introduced the Free Flow of Information Act (H.R. 581). His proposed legislation was supported by 54 bipartisan cosponsors (https://www.congress.gov/bill/109thcongress/ house-bill/581/cosponsors). Its purpose, to provide journalists/ reporters protection from punishment in any federal criminal or civil action if they refused to name their confidential news sources, unless “[judicial] authorities meet strict criteria” (https://firstamendment.mtsu.edu/article/freeflow-of-information-act).
When Senator Richard Green Lugar (R-IN) brought the bill (S. 340) to the Senate, he reminded legislators,
The Constitution makes very clear that freedom of the press should not be infringed….
It is important that we ensure reporters certain rights and abilities to seek sources and report appropriate information without fear of intimidation or imprisonment…. Without such protection, many whistleblowers will refuse to step forward and reporters will be disinclined to provide our constituents with the information that they have a right to know (https://sgp. fas.org/congress/2005/s340.html ).
The bill never passed, but a successor may be on the verge of doing so.
The Protect Reporters from Exploitative State Spying Act (PRESS Act, S. 2074) ensures reporters won’t have to worry “that under a future repressive administration federal law enforcement agencies might secretly subpoena their emails and phone records even though journalists depend on confidentiality to keep the American public informed” (Rep. J. Raskin, D-MD).
The House passed the PRESS Act in January 2024. It went to the Senate Judiciary Committee in June 2023, also with broad bipartisan support. There it sits.
The time for action is NOW! Please contact Kadeem Cooper, Senior Counsel for the Senate Judiciary Committee, urging the Committee to schedule S. 2074 for markup this month, in June, so it can be sent to the floor for a vote: Kadeem_Cooper@judiciary-dem.senate.gov.
Denise Fazio
Longmont
