Earlier this year, the Protect Reporters from Exploitative State Spying Act (PRESS Act) passed the Republican-controlled House. However, following President-elect Donald Trump’s directive on TruthSocial to “kill the bill!” last month, the GOP’s stance shifted dramatically. On Tuesday, a Senate Republican blocked the bill.
The PRESS Act is purported to shield journalists from government coercion to reveal their sources and to restrict unwarranted data seizures. Oregon’s Democrat Senator Ron Wyden brought legislation up for a unanimous consent vote, while Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) did the usual hyperbole about fortifying against incoming President-elect Donald Trump (as if we didn’t watch him yap it up with the “big orange threat to democracy” at the Al Smith dinner in October).
But okay, back to the political theater.
Trump having a…
