,,iv #aafth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,h4 ,,res4 #aage ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,october #b1 #bjbj,ms4 ,gabbard 7for herself and ,mr4 ,massie7 submitted the following resolution2 which was referred to the ,committee on the ,judiciary ,,resolution ,expressing the sense of the ,house of ,representatives that newsgathering activities are protected under the ,first ,amendment1 and that the ,united ,states should drop all charges against and attempts to extradite ,julian ,assange4 ,whereas the freedom of news organizations to acquire and publish information is protected under the ,first ,amendment to the ,constitution2 ,whereas1 in #bjaj1 ,wikileaks disclosed a cache of hundreds of thousands of ,department of ,state cables1 ,guantanamo ,bay detainee assessments1 and ,united ,states military reports related to the wars in ,afghanistan and ,iraq2 ,whereas the disclosure of ,united ,states military documents exposed war crimes against civilians in the ,middle ,east2 ,whereas1 in #bjac1 the ,department of ,justice declined to pursue charges against ,julian ,assange for publishing classified documents due to what ,justice officials described as a ,new ,york ,times problem which would cause the prosecution of other news organizations and journalists who have published classified material2 ,whereas1 on ,june #ai1 #bjad1 human rights and press freedom organizations sent a letter to then-,attorney ,general ,eric ,holder urging him to close all criminal investigations into ,wikileaks and ,julian ,assange due to concerns that actions against ,wikileaks undermine the commitment of the ,u4,s4 ,government to freedom of speech2 ,whereas1 on ,april #aa1 #bjai1 the ,london ,metropolitan ,police ,service arrested ,julian ,assange for outstanding warrants1 including a provisional warrant at the request of the ,united ,states ,government2 ,whereas the ,department of ,justice unsealed a ,march #bjah indictment against ,julian ,assange for violation of the ,computer ,fraud and ,abuse ,act2 ,whereas1 on ,may #bc1 #bjai1 a ,federal grand jury issued a superseding indictment adding #ag charges against ,julian ,assange for violation of the ,espionage ,act2 ,whereas1 on ,june #aj1 #bjai1 the ,united ,states ,government submitted a formal request to the ,united ,kingdom for the extradition of ,julian ,assange2 ,whereas ,united ,states ,government prosecutors now claim that any journalist or news organization that publishes classified material is subject to prosecution under the ,espionage ,act1 which would have led to the indictment of news organizations for the publication of the ,pentagon ,papers2 ,whereas press freedom1 human rights1 and privacy rights organizations across five continents sent a letter to the ,government of the ,united ,kingdom urging the immediate release of ,julian ,assange2 ,whereas previous administrations have prosecuted whistleblowers and other journalistic sources under the ,espionage ,act for leaking classified information1 the current ,department of ,justice has taken the further step of going after the publisher2 ,whereas the successful prosecution of ,julian ,assange under the ,espionage ,act would allow the ,federal ,government to indict any news organization or journalist for publishing classified information1 which occurs on a regular basis2 and ,whereas the successful prosecution of ,julian ,assange under the ,espionage ,act would have a profoundly detrimental impact on newsgathering and freedom of the press3 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that it is the sense of the ,house of ,representatives that-- 7#a7 newsgathering activities1 including the publication of leaked classified information1 are protected under the ,first ,amendment to the ,constitution2 7#b7 freedom of the press is a vital function of a free society in which government is accountable to the people2 and 7#c7 the ,federal ,government should drop all charges under the ,espionage ,act against ,julian ,assange4