WASHINGTON, DC (November 12, 2009) – As the time grows near for the Senate Judiciary Committee to consider a compromise version of a bill that creates a federal shield law for journalists, the general counsel for the National Press Photographers Association today reminds NPPA members that it is critical for Senators on the committee to hear from their constituents before the bill's mark-up next Thursday.
"Please call or fax a letter of support to your Senator on the Judiciary Committee before November 19," attorney Mickey H. Osterreicher told NPPA members today.
After nearly five years of effort, the Federal Shield Law Coalition (of which NPPA is a member) is very close to finally having a federal media shield bill enacted into law.
The House of Representatives passed its version in March (HR 985) and the Senate reached an agreement on a compromise bill, the Free Flow of Information Act (S 448), with the approval of the White House, two weeks ago.
Attorney General Eric Holder and the Director of National Intelligence, Dennis Blair, sent the Senate a letter of endorsement for the shield law on November 4.
While it appears that there may be enough votes to pass the compromise bill out of Committee next week, some members of the coalition fear that a few Republicans on the Committee might try to use procedural roadblocks to delay a final vote.
"This bill is a carefully crafted compromise between Senate sponsors, the Obama administration, and a broad coalition of media and journalism organizations," Osterreicher said. "This bill is critical because clear standards are needed to guide judges in deciding when a reporter may be compelled to testify in federal court and when the reporter may protect the identity of a confidential source. The media didn't get everything they wanted in the bill, but the compromise legislation is well balanced."
"I am pleased that the Obama administration has seen fit to support this compromise bill after experiencing four years of outright resistance from former-President George W. Bush," Osterreicher told News Photographer magazine today. "Despite overwhelming approval in the House the bill still faces stiff opposition from Republican Senators on the Committee who do not wish it to see the light of day. That is why it is so important to make sure that there is clear grass-roots support for this bill."
"A key message to the committee is not only to support the compromise bill, but to allow an up-or-down vote on it on November 19 to enable the legislative process to move forward – even if some Senators might vote against it," Osterreicher said. "It is also important to communicate that national security concerns, expressed mostly by Republicans but also some Democrats, have been addressed and significant concessions were made in the compromise bill to take national security into account."
With the committee meeting scheduled for one week from today, Osterreicher said "time is of the essence."
A list of the Senate Judiciary Committee members can be found here.
