Posted on 07/18/2013 5:48:00 AM PDT by cotton1706
Chuck Schumer and Lindsey Graham have rounded up another bipartisan gang, this time to pass a media shield law that would enact recent Justice Department guidelines.
The New York and South Carolina senators have written a new shield bill that protects the media from revealing information and sources during news gathering and requires courts to “apply a balancing test before compelling disclosure” from journalists. The bill would also require reporters’ be notified within 90 days of their records being reviewed by Justice and require the courts to arbitrate Justice’s media records requests.
Continue Reading Text Size -+resetAdvertisementLatest on POLITICO DNA test: Rep. Cohen not the father Playbook: Obamacare in three words McKinnon talks up Liz Cheney Martin's mom turns to Obama Perry to sign abortion restrictions Ads hit GOP lawmakers on immigration The bill doesn’t provide an absolute privilege to journalists and contains exceptions for when information about leaks to journalists could be used to prevent terrorism attacks and when information can help prevent deaths and kidnappings in non-national security cases. DOJ’s guidelines released last week said journalists’ records can be collected only if the reporter is the subject of a criminal investigation, which the senators want to make sure future administrations don’t reverse.
“Our bill will ensure that any administration, now or later, can’t make a U-turn and abandon these new guidelines,” Schumer said. “We are going to add new provisions to ensure that the proposals DOJ has issued aren’t simply suggestions that are followed at the whim of an attorney general, but the law of the land.”
The new bill applies to government seizure of journalists’ business and credit card records, as well as the records of phone and Internet companies written into a previous bill. The tougher media shield effort from the Senate comes on the heels of revelations that the DOJ was monitoring the Associated Press’s phone lines in the Capitol.
“When you cover political people it’s OK if we get upset, but it’s not OK if we use the power of the government unfairly against those who cover us. So having the courts involved I think is a necessary check and balance,” Graham said. “This bill makes it much harder for a political appointee to use an administrative subpoena” on the media.
Schumer said the chances of the bill becoming law “are high” and believed the White House would be supportive of it. The White House had no immediate comment, but DOJ indicated support for the effort.
“The Department is pleased with the progress being made on this important media shield legislation. We will continue to work with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle as the bill moves forward in the Senate,” said DOJ spokesman Brian Fallon.
The bill will get a hearing in the Judiciary Committee before the Senate breaks for August recess, Schumer said. He and Graham have been working on the effort for a couple of years and now have gotten backing for their revised bill from Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) and Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.). Senators hope they can build on a compromise struck Tuesday to avert a sweeping rules change to the Senate in order to pass the shield law while the subject of media leaks are still fresh in the public’s mind.
Graham said he hopes Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) signs on to make it a true “Gang of Eight,” a number that was successful in the Senate on immigration. As a former prosecutor, Klobuchar said she doesn’t like to use the word “gang,” but she christened the group as “another good gang” nonetheless.
“Courage isn’t just going into the chamber and making a speech all by yourself and having your base cheer. Courage is whether you are willing to stand up next to someone that you don’t always agree with for the betterment of this country. And that’s what’s changing in the Senate.”
Be sure to add a provision in the law that says the president must obey the law...
He thinks he can pick and choose which ones he will enforce, even his own
I am sure in the end it will be a clever way to protect the guy who illegally wiretapped McConnell’s office from prosecution.
Don’t like this.
Basically the law will shield their friends and anyone “they” consider a journalist.
It will add a protected class.
yes making a law confirming the 1st amendment.
well the 1st is already the law of the land.
what has to happen is for the POSOTUS to obey the law. He may think it, but he is not above the law.
Just wow... Lindsey lecturing us on courage:
“Courage is whether you are willing to stand up next to someone that you don’t always agree with for the betterment of this country.”
Yes Lindsey, you should give that a try sometime and stand up next to a conservative for once!
Yeah. In essence they are killing the Freedom of Information Act and covering their own butts ith the assistance of the LSM. If they get this passed they will move to restrict access to overnment records next, trust me.
Yeah. In essence they are killing the Freedom of Information Act and covering their own butts with the assistance of the LSM. If they get this passed they will move to restrict access to government records next, trust me.
We need to be shielded from both of these idiots.
Is Chuck Schumer gay?
FUGOE
The Evil Party and the Stupid Party are getting together. Gee, what could possibly go wrong.
What good will a new media shield law do when this Administration won’t even follow the old one?
Congress writes a Bill to protect the Media from Congress ? Sounds like a way for Dems to work with the Media to attack opponents .Anything with Schumer involved is a SCAM
F the Media. They are not gods. They are not supermen. They have no extra rights or protections.
There is no profanity adequate for these vermin?
Looks like they ran out of laws and are circling back for round two.
Here is a law for the media. If you do not tell the truth in reporting a story, you lose your license to operate for a year. The second time it’s the death penalty.
Welcome to 1930’s Germany, the redo?
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