President-elect Donald Trump ordered congressional Republicans on Wednesday to block a broadly popular bill to protect press freedoms, likely ending any chance of the U.S. Senate clearing the legislation.
The measure would limit federal law enforcement surveillance of journalists and the government’s ability to force disclosure of journalists’ sources, codifying regulations the Department of Justice has put in place under President Joe Biden.
The House Judiciary Committee unanimously approved it last year and it passed the House by voice vote in January.
“REPUBLICANS MUST KILL THIS BILL!” Trump wrote on his social media site, Truth Social, in all capital letters on Wednesday, linking to a PBS segment about the measure.
Substantial floor time is generally required in the Senate to bypass the process that allows a single member to hold up the chamber’s business. With Democrats prioritizing confirmation of Biden’s judicial nominees before they lose their majority in January, it is unlikely they would bring a vote on the measure without the unanimous consent of all 100 senators.
Trump’s influence within the Senate Republican Conference makes reaching unanimous consent exceedingly unlikely.
The bill’s House sponsor, California Republican Kevin Kiley, accepted the bill’s defeat in a statement Thursday.
“Based on the feedback we’ve received from Senators and President Trump, it’s clear we have work to do to achieve consensus on this issue,” he said. “I’m looking forward to working with the new Administration on a great many areas of common ground as we begin a new era of American prosperity.”
A Kiley spokesperson declined to provide further details about senators’ feedback on the measure. A spokesperson for U.S. Senate Judiciary ranking Republican Lindsey Graham of South Carolina did not respond to a message seeking comment.
In the House, 19 members from both parties, including Republicans Barry Moore of Alabama, Darrell Issa of California, Russell Fry of South Carolina and Kelly Armstrong of North Dakota and Democrats Jamie Raskin of Maryland, Ted Lieu of California and Rashida Tlaib and Dan Kildee of Michigan, signed on as cosponsors.
Protection for local journalists
Jon Schleuss, the president of The NewsGuild-CWA, a national journalists’ union that has supported the bill, noted in a Thursday statement it would protect news sources across the political spectrum.
“Americans would not know about the corruption of former Democratic Senator Bob Menendez or former Republican Representative George Santos without the hard work of local journalists holding power to account,” he said. “All of us depend on journalism, especially local journalism, to shine a light and protect Americans from threats, both foreign and domestic. The PRESS Act protects all voices: news sources, whistleblowers and the journalists they talk to from media outlets across the spectrum.”
In a Thursday statement to States Newsroom, Gabe Rottman, policy director at the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, called the bill a “reasonable and common-sense measure” that enjoyed broad bipartisan support.
“Its passage would put an end to actions the Justice Department has taken under past administrations of both parties to target reporters’ confidential communications when investigating and prosecuting disclosures of government information,” he wrote. “We urge Congress to recognize that there is still a need for a legislative remedy here.”
Press advocacy groups have expressed worries about Trump’s return to the White House, citing a record in his first term that included surveillance of and legal threats against journalists and news organizations.
Seeking retribution
In the closing days of the presidential race, Trump fantasized aloud about reporters being shot.
Press freedom groups also worry that Trump’s promises to use the federal bureaucracy to seek retribution against perceived enemies would extend to journalists.
“In his second term, Trump will make good on these anti-press threats to try to destroy any news outlet, journalist, or whistleblower who criticizes or opposes him,” Seth Stern, the director of advocacy at the Freedom of the Press Foundation, wrote in a Nov. 6 blog post.
Stern added that Trump would “almost certainly repeal” the protections against surveillance the Department of Justice had put in place during President Joe Biden’s term.
–Jacob Fischler, Florida Phoenix
jim says
life’s a bitch!!!
Sherry says
And. . . the dastardly fascistic punishment of the news media begins. . . even before trump the dictator is in office! Constitutional “freedom of the press’ be damned!
Bonnie says
@Sherry, “dastardly fascistic”? Biden just launched missiles into Russia and Trump is the problem?
Robjr says
Almost immediately after he assumed power in 1933 Adolf Hitler began writing new laws and regulations that purged all freedoms from the German press.
Deborah Coffey says
Every life in America will be a bitch when every bit of every news broadcast will be a lie. Truth be damned, according the World Class Liar about to enter the White House.
feddy says
Didn’t Hillary make a statement to repeal section 230 of the federal communications law for free speech?
Stephen says
Do people not recognize Facsism when it hits them in the face?
Shark says
Heil Hitler !!!
Deport elon says
Ushering in a new era of fascism. Treasonous trump at it again. Time to start over and create a new government that actually cares for its people?
Deport elon says
Don’t worry Chief rapist is lighting the dumpster fire formerly called america.
Deport elon says
Lies and misinformation work well, truth and facts don’t matter. Target anyone who doesn’t believe our fascist values right? Hahaha young people are screwed oldies stole their future. Enjoy the collapse.
Atwp says
Good! That is this nation need, a crook who doesn’t care about nobody but himself. Please take away all the freedoms from your blind robotic voters.
Sherry says
@ bonnie. . . What in the world are you talking about? How far gone into Fox craziness are you? President Biden did NOT launch missiles into Russia!
What does your ridiculous statement have to do with “Freedom of the Press” anyway?
Yes, “Convicted Criminal” trump is going to be a huge problem for democracy and constitutional norms for the next 4 years.
Sherry says
@ feddy
And, now for just a little “context” beyond just a Fox BS talking point . . . this from The Hill:
“There should be a lot of things done. We should be, in my view, repealing something called section 230, which gave platforms on the internet immunity because they were thought to be just pass-throughs, that they shouldn’t be judged for the content that is posted,” Clinton later argued.
Her comments were all addressed in her new book entitled “Something Lost and Something Gained” which says social media content increases the presence of anxiety and depression in children.
“Whether it’s Facebook or Twitter or X or Instagram or TikTok, whatever they are, if they don’t moderate and monitor the content we lose total control and it’s not just the social and psychological effects it’s real harm, it’s child porn and threats of violence, things that are terribly dangerous,” Clinton explained.
Section 230, part of the Communications Decency Act of 1996, is a federal law that shields online platforms from legal liability for content posted by their users, essentially stating that they cannot be treated as the “publisher or speaker” of third-party information, thus protecting them from lawsuits related to user-generated content on their platforms; this allows them to moderate content without taking on legal responsibility for what users post.
Laurel says
Stephen: Clearly not. They made excuses for Hitler too.
Deborah Coffey says
Obviously not. I’m sure they can’t even define “Fascism.”
Joe D says
Unbelievable that something that sounds so reasonable like anti terrorist support legislation, could written in such a way to include ANY organization or non-profit who published information critical or embarrassing about the political party in power. That could be weaponized to take away their non-profit tax status without any real PROOF being documented (only unfounded accusations are all you need, the way this bill is written currently ) and with VERY little “due process” protections for the organization or non-profit to defend themselves against politically motivated attacks.
That it passed the house with ALMOST total Republican support was concerning enough, but 15 Democrats also voted for it (my fear, is that they didn’t really READ the legislation or explore its ramifications to “freedom of the press” laws)! I’m only hoping the Senate has now had enough time to learn how this legislation could REALLY be used to silence Government critics, afraid that disparaging comments or opinions could shut them down, by pulling their non-profit tax exempt status as a RETALIATION, and they vote this bill down.