,,iv #aafth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,h4 ,,res4 #iii ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,june #aa1 #bjbj,ms4 ,scanlon 7for herself1 ,mr4 ,schiff1 ,ms4 ,norton1 ,mr4 ,vargas1 ,mrs4 ,hayes1 ,mrs4 ,beatty1 ,mr4 ,rush1 ,mr4 ,raskin1 ,mr4 ,cooper1 ,mr4 ,welch1 ,mr4 ,hastings1 ,mr4 ,mc,govern1 ,mr4 ,neguse1 ,mr4 ,cicilline1 ,mr4 ,huffman1 ,mr4 ,san ,nicolas1 ,ms4 ,houlahan1 and ,ms4 ,eshoo7 submitted the following resolution2 which was referred to the ,committee on the ,judiciary ,,resolution ,recognizing the threats to press freedom in the ,united ,states in the wake of protests following the killing of ,george ,floyd1 an unarmed ,black man1 by police in ,minneapolis on ,may #be1 #bjbj1 reaffirming the centrality of a free and independent press to the health of democracy1 and reaffirming freedom of the press as a priority of the ,united ,states in promoting democracy1 human rights1 and good governance4 ,whereas the essential role of the independent press and journalists in a free and democratic society has been recognized since the colonial period of the ,united ,states and is enshrined in the ,first ,amendment to the ,constitution2 ,whereas the ,first ,amendment to the ,constitution proclaims3 ,congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion1 or preventing the free exercise thereof2 or abridging the freedom of speech1 or of the press2 or the right of the people peaceably to assemble1 and to petition the government for a redress of grievances42 ,whereas ,article #ai of the ,united ,nations ,universal ,declaration of ,human ,rights1 adopted at ,paris1 ,december #aj1 #aidh1 states1 ,everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression2 this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek1 receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers42 ,whereas the ,united ,states has made promotion of press freedom worldwide a core part of its human rights and democracy promotion efforts2 ,whereas the ,,covid-#ai pandemic has accelerated the decline of local news1 documented by ,,pen ,america in the report ,losing the ,news1 shuttering critical information resources1 particularly for rural populations and marginalized communities2 ,whereas journalists have a long established and recognized right to report1 and actions by law enforcement or other authorities that prevent them from doing so through intimidation1 violence1 arrest1 or detention is an affront to the ,first ,amendment2 ,whereas the ,united ,states has experienced mass protests in cities and communities around the ,nation following the killing of ,george ,floyd by police in ,minneapolis on ,may #be1 #bjbj2 ,whereas ,joel ,simon1 executive director of the ,committee to ,protect ,journalists1 wrote that ,covering protests and demonstrations is vital1 both in order to inform the public about the demands of the protesters and also to hold officials accountable2 ,whereas1 as of ,june #d1 #bjbj1 the ,u4,s4 ,press ,freedom ,tracker1 a nonpartisan website managed by the ,freedom of the ,press ,foundation1 has received reports of more than #cjj reports of press freedom violations committed against journalists covering the demonstrations nationwide2 ,whereas these cases include instances of journalists and media workers being specifically targeted by law enforcement with tear gas1 pepper spray or pepper balls1 or rubber bullets despite displaying press credentials and identifying themselves as members of the press2 ,whereas1 on ,may #bi1 #bjbj1 police in ,minneapolis shot a rubber bullet at the face of a freelance writer and photographer1 permanently blinding her in one eye2 ,whereas1 on ,may #cj1 #bjbj1 ,minneapolis police fired tear gas1 pepper spray1 and concussion grenades directly at multiple journalists and photographers2 ,whereas1 on ,may #ca1 #bjbj1 ,seattle police fired projectiles directly at an ,,msnbc reporter and camera crew2 ,whereas1 on ,may #ca1 #bjbj1 a ,,kpcc_/,l,aist reporter was shot in the throat with a rubber bullet by ,long ,beach police2 ,whereas1 on ,june #a1 #bjbj1 an ,australian reporter and camera operator were struck by ,federal law enforcement as they covered a demonstration outside the ,white ,house in ,washington1 ,,dc1 leading to a formal request by the ,australian ,ambassador for a police investigation2 ,whereas the ,u4,s4 ,press ,freedom ,tracker has identified more than #di instances of journalists and media workers being arrested at protests as of ,june #d1 #bjbj2 ,whereas1 on ,may #bi1 #bjbj1 ,,cnn reporter ,omar ,jiminez1 an ,african-,american and ,latino journalist1 was arrested in ,minneapolis while reporting on camera1 despite displaying his press credentials and offering to comply with police directives2 ,whereas1 on ,may #bi1 #bjbj1 in ,las ,vegas1 ,nevada1 two photojournalists were arrested while working and charged with the misdemeanor of failure to disperse1 before being released a day later2 ,whereas1 on ,may #ca1 #bjbj1 an ,,npr affiliate reporter1 a ,philadelphia ,inquirer reporter1 and a ,wilmington ,news-,journal reporter were arrested despite having identified themselves as press2 ,whereas some cities and ,states have imposed curfews in a bid to contain the demonstrations1 some of which have turned violent1 but not all of the curfew orders have explicitly exempted members of the press2 ,whereas journalists have a vital role to play in documenting and reporting on the protests and must be able to freely cover these events without fear of retaliation from authorities2 and ,whereas freedom of the press-- 7#a7 is a key component of democratic governance1 activism in civil society1 and socioeconomic development2 and 7#b7 enhances public accountability1 transparency1 and participation in civil society and democratic governance3 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that the ,house of ,representatives-- 7#a7 expresses support for the ,first ,amendment-protected right of journalists to report on events in the public interest1 including protests and demonstrations against police brutality2 7#b7 believes journalists perform an essential role in safeguarding democratic values by keeping the public informed about issues of national and local concern and ensuring transparency and accountability2 7#c7 calls on ,state1 local1 and ,federal law enforcement to protect the freedom of the press and refrain from targeting journalists and media workers2 7#d7 calls on government entities to clarify that credentialed press are exempt from curfews enacted in response to protests and public demonstrations2 7#e7 stresses the need for accountability where law enforcement entities or protesters violate the ,constitution1 laws1 or regulations in their treatment of journalists and media crews during protests2 and 7#f7 reaffirms the centrality of freedom of the press in the ,united ,states and around the world to support democracy1 expose corruption1 and promote good governance4