Tom Cotton Blocks Press Freedom Act, Wants Government to Compel Journalists to Reveal Sources of ‘Damaging Leaks’
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) blocked the Press Freedom Act on the Senate floor on Wednesday as Democrats tried to fast-track passage of the bill that has already been approved by the House.
Sponsored by Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), the legislation would prohibit the government from forcing journalists and telecommunications companies to disclose certain information:
Specifically, the bill protects from disclosure any information identifying a source, as well as any records, contents of a communication, documents, or information obtained or created by journalists in the course of their work. Further, the bill protects specified third parties, such as telecommunications carriers or social media companies, from being compelled to provide testimony or any document consisting of a record, information, or other communication that relates to a business transaction between the third party and a journalist.
Democrats attempted to pass the Press Act on Wednesday via unanimous consent (as opposed to a full vote of the Senate), but were thwarted when Cotton rose to object.
The senator said the legislation would insulate reporters “from scrutiny and consequences.” He cited the Pentagon Papers, which were leaked to and published by the New York Times and showed the extent to which the government was lying about the Vietnam War, as an example of why the press should be held accountable.
Cotton said the bill “would open a floodgate of leaks damaging to law enforcement and our nation’s security.”
“The press unfortunately has a long and sordid history of publishing sensitive information from inside the government that damages our national security,” he said on the Senate floor. “During the Vietnam War the New York Times published the Pentagon Papers in an effort to demoralize the American people and turn them against the war effort.”
Cotton also claimed journalists’ actions in Iraq and Afghanistan hindered “efforts to hunt down terrorists” and “helped our enemies.”
“The Press Act would immunize journalists and leakers alike from scrutiny and consequences for their actions,” he continued. “This bill would prohibit the government from compelling any individual who calls himself a journalist from disclosing the source or substance of such damaging leaks. This effectively would grant journalists special legal privileges to disclose sensitive information that no other citizen enjoys. It would treat the press as a special caste of crusaders for truth who are somehow set apart from their fellow citizens.”
After Cotton blocked the bill, Wyden tweeted, “This bill is a no-brainer to protect free press in America, but I’m not giving up. I’m going to keep fighting until we get this across the finish line.”
Watch above via C-SPAN.
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