This resolution expresses support for freedom of the press and opposes the targeting of journalists.
Specifically, the resolution
[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1009 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
116th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. RES. 1009
Recognizing the threats to press freedom in the United States in the
wake of protests following the killing of George Floyd, an unarmed
Black man, by police in Minneapolis on May 25, 2020, reaffirming the
centrality of a free and independent press to the health of democracy,
and reaffirming freedom of the press as a priority of the United States
in promoting democracy, human rights, and good governance.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 18, 2020
Ms. Scanlon (for herself, Mr. Schiff, Ms. Norton, Mr. Vargas, Mrs.
Hayes, Mrs. Beatty, Mr. Rush, Mr. Raskin, Mr. Cooper, Mr. Welch, Mr.
Hastings, Mr. McGovern, Mr. Neguse, Mr. Cicilline, Mr. Huffman, Mr. San
Nicolas, Ms. Houlahan, Ms. Eshoo, Mr. Lynch, Ms. Speier, Ms. Escobar,
Mr. Trone, Mr. Malinowski, Mr. Takano, Ms. Wild, Mrs. Fletcher, Ms.
Garcia of Texas, Mr. Case, Mr. Crow, Ms. Craig, Mrs. Axne, and Ms.
Shalala) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the
Committee on the Judiciary
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Recognizing the threats to press freedom in the United States in the
wake of protests following the killing of George Floyd, an unarmed
Black man, by police in Minneapolis on May 25, 2020, reaffirming the
centrality of a free and independent press to the health of democracy,
and reaffirming freedom of the press as a priority of the United States
in promoting democracy, human rights, and good governance.
Whereas the essential role of the independent press and journalists in a free
and democratic society has been recognized since the colonial period of
the United States and is enshrined in the First Amendment to the
Constitution;
Whereas the First Amendment to the Constitution proclaims: ``Congress shall make
no law respecting an establishment of religion, or preventing the free
exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press;
or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the
government for a redress of grievances.'';
Whereas Article 19 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights,
adopted at Paris, December 10, 1948, states, ``Everyone has the right to
freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold
opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart
information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.'';
Whereas the United States has made promotion of press freedom worldwide a core
part of its human rights and democracy promotion efforts;
Whereas the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the decline of local news,
documented by PEN America in the report Losing the News, shuttering
critical information resources, particularly for rural populations and
marginalized communities;
Whereas journalists have a long established and recognized right to report, and
actions by law enforcement or other authorities that prevent them from
doing so through intimidation, violence, arrest, or detention is an
affront to the First Amendment;
Whereas the United States has experienced mass protests in cities and
communities around the Nation following the killing of George Floyd by
police in Minneapolis on May 25, 2020;
Whereas Joel Simon, executive director of the Committee to Protect Journalists,
wrote that ``Covering protests and demonstrations is vital, both in
order to inform the public about the demands of the protesters and also
to hold officials accountable'';
Whereas, as of June 4, 2020, the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker, a nonpartisan
website managed by the Freedom of the Press Foundation, has received
reports of more than 300 reports of press freedom violations committed
against journalists covering the demonstrations nationwide;
Whereas these cases include instances of journalists and media workers being
specifically targeted by law enforcement with tear gas, pepper spray or
pepper balls, or rubber bullets despite displaying press credentials and
identifying themselves as members of the press;
Whereas, on May 29, 2020, police in Minneapolis shot a rubber bullet at the face
of a freelance writer and photographer, permanently blinding her in one
eye;
Whereas, on May 30, 2020, Minneapolis police fired tear gas, pepper spray, and
concussion grenades directly at multiple journalists and photographers;
Whereas, on May 31, 2020, Seattle police fired projectiles directly at an MSNBC
reporter and camera crew;
Whereas, on May 31, 2020, a KPCC/LAist reporter was shot in the throat with a
rubber bullet by Long Beach police;
Whereas, on June 1, 2020, an Australian reporter and camera operator were struck
by Federal law enforcement as they covered a demonstration outside the
White House in Washington, DC, leading to a formal request by the
Australian Ambassador for a police investigation;
Whereas the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker has identified more than 49 instances of
journalists and media workers being arrested at protests as of June 4,
2020;
Whereas, on May 29, 2020, CNN reporter Omar Jiminez, an African-American and
Latino journalist, was arrested in Minneapolis while reporting on
camera, despite displaying his press credentials and offering to comply
with police directives;
Whereas, on May 29, 2020, in Las Vegas, Nevada, two photojournalists were
arrested while working and charged with the misdemeanor of ``failure to
disperse'', before being released a day later;
Whereas, on May 31, 2020, an NPR affiliate reporter, a Philadelphia Inquirer
reporter, and a Wilmington News-Journal reporter were arrested despite
having identified themselves as press;
Whereas some cities and States have imposed curfews in a bid to contain the
demonstrations, some of which have turned violent, but not all of the
curfew orders have explicitly exempted members of the press;
Whereas journalists have a vital role to play in documenting and reporting on
the protests and must be able to freely cover these events without fear
of retaliation from authorities; and
Whereas freedom of the press--
(1) is a key component of democratic governance, activism in civil
society, and socioeconomic development; and
(2) enhances public accountability, transparency, and participation in
civil society and democratic governance: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) expresses support for the First Amendment-protected
right of journalists to report on events in the public
interest, including protests and demonstrations against police
brutality;
(2) believes journalists perform an essential role in
safeguarding democratic values by keeping the public informed
about issues of national and local concern and ensuring
transparency and accountability;
(3) calls on State, local, and Federal law enforcement to
protect the freedom of the press and refrain from targeting
journalists and media workers;
(4) calls on government entities to clarify that
credentialed press are exempt from curfews enacted in response
to protests and public demonstrations;
(5) stresses the need for accountability where law
enforcement entities or protesters violate the Constitution,
laws, or regulations in their treatment of journalists and
media crews during protests; and
(6) reaffirms the centrality of freedom of the press in the
United States and around the world to support democracy, expose
corruption, and promote good governance.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
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