USA: Senate must pass PRESS Act before end of Congress
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is urging Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Democrats to pass the PRESS Act before the current Congress ends. The clock is running out to pass this commonsense, bipartisan press shield law before Donald Trump, who is unlikely to sign such a bill, takes office.
With the 118th Congress ending on January 3, 2025, the Senate has little time left to pass the PRESS Act. Passing this bill is the current Senate’s last chance to meaningfully improve press freedom in the United States before Donald Trump takes office. The PRESS Act is supported by Democrats and Republicans alike, and unanimously passed the House. If the Senate does not adopt this bill now, there is little guarantee it will pass in a Republican-controlled Senate and be signed into law by President Trump.
“Senate Democrats have had numerous opportunities this year to pass the PRESS Act after the House led the way by passing it unanimously. Now, as Donald Trump prepares to take office, they may never get another chance to enact this commonsense reform. Enough is enough. The Senate has dragged its feet for far too long — it’s time to pass the PRESS Act and enshrine these vital protections for the journalism our republic depends on.”
The PRESS Act is a federal press shield law that would protect the confidentiality of journalists’ sources, materials, and devices at the federal level. It would guard against federal surveillance on journalists, which has a chilling effect on reporting. Donald Trump is unlikely to sign any such bill into law, given his anti-press freedom positions, having attacked the media over 100 times in a two-month period, and threatening to revoke multiple broadcasters’ licenses. Worse, Trump has promised to unleash the type of government abuse against journalists that the PRESS Act would prevent.
In 2024, the U.S. fell 10 places in RSF’s World Press Freedom Index, down to 55th out of 180 countries.
