Lawmakers and journalists warn of threats to First Amendment at Capitol Hill hearing

WASHINGTON (CNN) — In a recent hearing on Capitol Hill, members of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Constitution and Limited Government issued alarming warnings about the erosion of First Amendment rights in the United States.

During the hearing, Chairman Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, emphasized the chilling effect that executive interference can have on whistleblowers and sources coming forward with critical information. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, echoed his sentiments, stressing the importance of protecting First Amendment rights.

One of the witnesses at the hearing was Sharyl Attkisson, a former CBS News anchor and correspondent who detailed her experience of having her computer hacked more than a decade ago. Attkisson revealed that her computer was compromised by external parties with government-controlled IP addresses, who not only monitored her work in real-time but also accessed classified documents and planted files in her operating system.

Another former CBS News investigative correspondent, Catherine Herridge, shared her own harrowing experience of having her reporting files seized by the network when she was let go. Herridge described this act as an attack on investigative journalism and likened it to a “journalistic rape.” She has since been held in civil contempt for refusing to disclose her sources and is engaged in a legal battle to protect them.

Herridge expressed hope that legislation like the “Protect Reporters from Exploitative State Spying” or PRESS Act, which has passed in the House with strong bipartisan support, would help safeguard journalists’ rights and limit government intrusion into press freedom. However, she noted that the Senate has yet to take action on this crucial issue.

Members of the committee, including Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, D-Penn, expressed frustration over the Senate’s inaction on reporter shield legislation, which aims to protect journalists from being compelled to disclose their sources to the government.

While some Democrats on the committee suggested that the hearing was politically motivated to further the narrative of a biased mainstream media, Republicans rejected this assessment and emphasized the vital importance of upholding First Amendment rights and protecting journalists from government interference.

As the debate over press freedom and government accountability continues to unfold, the future of journalist protections in the United States remains uncertain. With mounting concerns about censorship, surveillance, and attacks on the free press, lawmakers are facing growing pressure to take decisive action to safeguard the principles of democracy and ensure a vibrant and independent media landscape for generations to come.

Written by staticwire