,,iii  #aaeth ,,congress  #b;d ,session 
,s4 ,,res4 #fjg  ,,in ,,the ,,senate    
,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states  ,august   
#af1 #bjah ,mr4 ,schatz 7for himself1   
,mr4 ,schumer1 and ,mr4 ,blumenthal7    
submitted the following resolution2     
which was considered and agreed to      
,,resolution  ,reaffirming the vital and
 indispensable role the free press      
serves4  ,whereas the ,first ,amendment 
to the ,constitution of the ,united     
,states protects the press from         
government control and suppression2     
,whereas the freedom of the press-- 7#a7
 has been recognized as integral to the 
democratic foundations of the ,united   
,states since the beginning of the      
,united ,states2 and  7#b7 has endured  
and been reaffirmed repeatedly          
throughout the history of the ,united   
,states2  ,whereas ,benjamin ,franklin  
in #agbb wrote1 ,whoever would overthrow
 the ,liberty of a ,nation1 must begin  
by subduing the ,freeness of ,speech42  
,whereas ,thomas ,jefferson in #aghf    

wrote1 ,our liberty depends on the      
freedom of the press1 and that cannot be
 limited without being lost42 ,whereas  
,james ,madison in #aghi introduced the 
freedom of the press in the ,bill of    
,rights to the ,constitution of the     
,united ,states2 ,whereas ,james        
,madison based the freedom of the press 
on the ,declaration of ,rights of the   
,commonwealth of ,virginia1 which in    
#aggf declared1 ,the freedom of the     
,press is one of the greatest bulwarks  
of liberty1 and can never be restrained 
but by despotic ,governments42 ,whereas 
,president ,ronald ,reagan proclaimed   
,august #d1 #aihe1 as ,freedom of the   
,press ,day1 stating that ,freedom of   
the press is one of our most important  
freedoms and also one of our oldest42   
,whereas ,president ,reagan also said1  
,today1 our tradition of a free press as
 a vital part of our democracy is as    
important as ever4 ,the news media are  
now using modern techniques to bring our
 citizens information not only on a     

daily basis but instantaneously as      
important events occur4 ,this flow of   
information helps make possible an      
informed electorate and so contributes  
to our national system of               
self-government42 ,whereas ,justice     
,anthony ,kennedy wrote in              
,international ,soc4 for ,krishna       
,consciousness1 ,inc4 v4 ,lee1 #eje     
,u4,s4 #fgb 7#aiib71 ,the ,first        
,amendment is often inconvenient4 ,but  
that is beside the point4 ,inconvenience
 does not absolve the government of its 
obligation to tolerate speech42 ,whereas
 the ,united ,states ,supreme ,court    
also affirmed the history and intent of 
the freedom of the press in ,new ,york  
,times ,co4 v4 ,united ,states1 #djc    
,u4,s4 #gac 7#aiga71 stating1 ,in the   
,first ,amendment1 the ,founding        
,fathers gave the free press the        
protection it must have to fulfill its  
essential role in our democracy4 ,the   
press was to serve the governed1 not the
 governors4 ,the ,government's power to 

censor the press was abolished so that  
the press would remain forever free to  
censure the ,government4 ,the press was 
protected so that it could bare the     
secrets of government and inform the    
people4 ,only a free and unrestrained   
press can effectively expose deception  
in government42 ,whereas tyrannical and 
authoritarian governments and leaders   
throughout history have sought to       
undermine1 censor1 suppress1 and control
 the press to advance their undemocratic
 goals and actions2 and ,whereas the    
,united ,states1 including the long-held
 commitment to and constitutional       
protection of the free press in the     
,united ,states1 has stood as a shining 
example of democracy1 self-government1  
and freedom for the world to emulate3   
,now1 therefore1 be it  ,that-- 7#a7 the
 ,senate--  7,a7 affirms that the press 
is not the enemy of the people2  7,b7   
reaffirms the vital and indispensable   
role that the free press serves to      
inform the electorate1 uncover the      

truth1 act as a check on the inherent   
power of the government1 further        
national discourse and debate1 and      
otherwise advance the most basic and    
cherished democratic norms and freedoms 
of the ,united ,states2 and  7,c7       
condemns the attacks on the institution 
of the free press and views efforts to  
systematically undermine the credibility
 of the press as an attack on the       
democratic institutions of the ,united  
,states2 and  7#b7 it is the sense of   
the ,senate that it is the sworn        
responsibility of all who serve the     
,united ,states by taking the oath to   
support and defend the ,constitution of 
the ,united ,states to uphold1 cherish1 
and protect the entire ,constitution1   
including the freedom of the press4