Tom Cotton blocks senate PRESS Act designed to protect journalists
Republican Sen. Tom Cotton on Wednesday blocked the passage of a House-approved bipartisan bill that’s been heralded by advocates as “the most important free press legislation in modern times.”
The Senate had in recent days faced mounting pressure from journalists, press freedom groups, and others to follow the House’s lead and approve the Protect Reporters From Exploitative State Spying (PRESS) Act, spearheaded by Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.).
After Senate Judiciary Chair Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) on Tuesday revealed in the Chicago Sun-Times that he supported fast-tracking the PRESS Act (S. 2457/H.R. 4330), Wyden took to the floor early Wednesday to try to pass the bill by unanimous consent and send it to President Joe Biden’s desk.
Cotton (R-Ark.) objected, claiming that “the PRESS Act would immunize journalists and leakers alike from scrutiny and consequences for their actions.”
“This bill would prohibit the government from compelling any individual who calls himself a ‘journalist,'” Cotton continued, indicating scare quotes with his hands, “from disclosing the source or substance of such damaging leaks.”
Wyden pushed back against Cotton’s claims, pointing to the exceptions in the law that were adequate enough to satisfy all Republicans in the House, which advanced the bill by a voice vote in September.
Demand Progress was among the media outlets along with civil liberties, government accountability, and press freedom organizations that on Monday had urged Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) to include the PRESS Act in the omnibus spending bill.
Highlighting that the PRESS Act would codify the Justice Department’s recently announced reforms so a future administration could not repeal them, they wrote to Schumer that “it is crucial that you act before this Congress adjourns so that journalists do not need to wait another decade or more for the protections they need to do their jobs effectively.”
In a series of tweets Wednesday, Freedom of the Press Foundation executive director Trevor Timm pointed to the end-of-the-year spending bill and the fact that a Boston Globe reporter was forced to testify in federal court this week despite First Amendment concerns.
“If the Senate passes the PRESS Act this week,” he said, “this type of press freedom violation would become a thing of the past.”
Originally published at Commondreams.org.
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