Trump tells US Senate Republicans ‘must kill’ journalism shield law • New Jersey Monitor

President-elect Donald Trump ordered congressional Republicans on Wednesday to block a widely popular bill to protect press freedoms, likely ending any chance of the US Senate passing the legislation.

The measure would limit surveillance of journalists by federal law enforcement and the government’s ability to compel disclosure of journalists’ sources, codifying regulations the Justice Department put in place under President Joe Biden.

The House Judiciary Committee unanimously approved it last year and it passed the House on a voice vote in January.

“REPUBLICANS MUST KILL THIS PROGRAM!” Trump wrote on his social media site, Social Truthin all caps on Wednesday, which links to a PBS segment on the measure.

The Senate generally takes a substantial amount of time to circumvent the process that allows a single member to interrupt the business of the House. With Democrats prioritizing confirmation of Biden’s judicial nominees before losing their majority in January, they are unlikely to vote on the measure without the unanimous consent of all 100 senators.

Trump’s influence in the Senate Republican Conference makes unanimous consent highly unlikely.

The bill’s sponsor, Republican Kevin Kiley, accepted the bill’s defeat in a statement Thursday.

“Based on the feedback we’ve received from senators and from President Trump, it’s clear that we have work to do to reach consensus on this issue,” he said. “I look forward to working with the new administration on many areas of common ground as we begin a new era of American prosperity.”

A spokesman for Kiley declined to provide further details about senators’ feedback on the measure. A spokesman for the 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, president of The NewsGuild-CWA, a national journalists’ union that supported the bill, said in a statement on Thursday would protect news sources across the political spectrum.

“Americans wouldn’t know about the corruption of former Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez or former Republican Rep. George Santos without the hard work of local journalists who hold the power to answer,” he said. “We all depend on journalism, especially local journalism, to shine a light on and protect Americans from threats, both foreign and domestic. The PRESS Act protects all voices: news sources, whistleblowers and journalists they speak to from media outlets across the spectrum.”

In a statement to State Newsroom on Thursday, Gabe Rottman, policy director at the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, called the bill a “reasonable, common-sense measure” that enjoyed broad bipartisan support.

“Its approval would end actions the Justice Department has taken under previous administrations of both parties to target confidential communications from reporters when investigating and pursuing disclosures of government information,” he wrote. “We urge Congress to recognize that a legislative remedy is still needed here.”

Media advocacy groups have expressed concern about Trump’s return to the White House, citing a record in his first term that included surveillance and legal threats against journalists and news organizations.

Seeking punishment

In the final days of the presidential race, Trump fantasized out loud about the reporters 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 rise to these anti-press threats to try to destroy any news outlet, journalist or whistleblower who criticizes or opposes him,” Seth Stern, director of advocacy at the Foundation for Freedom of the Press , written in a blog post from November 6.

Stern added that Trump will “almost certainly repeal” the surveillance protections the Justice Department put in place during President Joe Biden’s tenure.

Last updated at 17:08, 21 November 2024