Senate Republicans back off proposed restrictions on media

Well that didn't pan out too well for the senate did it?

Senate Republicans on Tuesday quickly backed away from a proposal to restrict media access in the Capitol after an angry backlash from reporters and an emergency meeting between the Senate Rules Committee and the media gallery directors.

Senate Rules Committee Chairman Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) sent out a statement around lunchtime clarifying that there would not be a rules change, only a discussion about how to ensure safety as the Capitol hallways have become more hectic because of growing crowds of journalists.

Shelby announced in a statement that the committee had made “no changes to the existing rules governing press coverage on the Senate side of the Capitol complex.”

thehill.com...

Further:

It was an abrupt 180-degree turn from earlier in the day, when Senate Sergeant at Arms staff informed the press galleries of tough new restrictions.

thehill.com...

Is it just me or is this administration and congress becoming a lot more authoritarian and restrictive? No no it's not just me. When we hear things like Jeff Sessions personally asking Congress to let him prosecute medical marijuana providers or Trump broadening CIA powers and domestic surveillance it becomes all too real. This is a far cry from the ATS of the past where any hint of restriction from the Whitehouse would unleash a massive backlash on these forums. Non-stop threads about drone strikes, NSA spying, the Patriot act. We heard it all.... Bush 2.0, continuing the establishments agenda. But somehow all of this seems to be overlooked with ol' Don in power.

a reply to: Southern Guardian

No not again !!

A Senate official familiar with administrative discussions said

a reply to: Southern Guardian

I could care less about media having to deal with new restrictions.

They don't report accurately anyway so screw them.

# # #

I am totally against the MJ restrictions, but that isn't really what this OP is about.

Authoritarianism sucks regardless if it is from the Left or the Right.

a reply to: Metallicus

That's true.

If they're just going to make up lies, they could do that back at the office. I'm not in favour of limiting press freedom but sometimes reporters make me sick. Some of them seem to think that a press pass gives them a license to act like a jerk.

If some rude guy came and shoved a mic in my face and started pestering me repeatedly with dumb questions I'd put him on the floor pretty damn quick.

But Obama, but Hillary, Trump is playing 537306937272D chess, you're a triggered snowflake, very fake news, typical emotional libtard, you're just mad Hillary lost - get over it, you should respect the president and give him a chance - I think I got most of the usual excuses out of the way.

"Lock her up."
"No more regime change."
"The buck stops at Trump."


Hope & Change 2.0. I remember ATS after Obama was re-elected. The forums were heavily left-leaning but after awhile,
It fizzled out. Sanity, and rationality returned.

Operation Paperclip. North woods. The Tuskegee Experiments. Project Stargate. Gulf of Tonkin incident. Sinking of the Luisitania (sp?). 9/11.

The same government that's been allied with Saudi Arabia for decades. The very same government that doesn't audit our privately owned banking-monetary institution. The same government that will lock you up for having some weed on you, but says it's okay to buy alcohol/cigarettes at every gas station/grocery store that big-tobacco and alcohol can get away with (did you know they purposefully target black communities with roughly seven times the amount of alcohol/tobacco advertisements?)

ATS used to complain that "they're coming for our guns," constantly ringing the alarm bells about how us gun owners are about to have some entity/agency kick our doors down and confiscate our guns. I'm still waiting.

Now many of these same people are the ones telling me that I need to respect the president, give him a chance, and are always there to say "it's better than Hillary!," although many of the things Trump has done, in fact, is the same thing Hillary would have done.

But ATS has shifted to the right-wing, and this will, in fact, fall on deaf ears. To those who are open to listening - thank you.

I've never had a popular opinion around here. There were a few heavily left-leaning Obama supporters (quite a few years back) on here I would regularly engage with. I was always wrong, racist, and had no idea what I was talking about - but I didn't mind. I'm not here to be the popular voice for meaningless stars and flags.

When Obama was being praised, I reminded his staunchest supporters of Fast and Furious, his legacy of being groomed to be a (s)elected candidate from day one to fit an agenda at play behind the scenes, that his continuation of conflict in sovereign nations is a continuation of the previous administration, that has campaign promises and speeches were meant to dazzle and wow, but many just didn't care to listen.

Trump supporters have no idea how strongly they resemble Obama supporters, I think it's outright ironic as all Hell but it makes sense. Both liberals and conservatives crave the same thing - government.

Against all information, they both share the sentiment that this nation - the United Statss of America - cannot possibly succeed, be safe from threats domestic and abroad, without continually voting for their federal government. And not only that, but by only voting exclusively along the lines of one of two partisan ideologies that represent a perfect paradigm.

That's crazy. What's next, wiretapping reporters phones and putting monitors in news rooms?

originally posted by: vor78
That's crazy. What's next, wiretapping reporters phones and putting monitors in news rooms?

How many of those reporters do you think are undercover 3 letters. They sent a suggestion to the GOP, believe me!

The total naivete of some ATS members is astonishing...

originally posted by: olaru12

originally posted by: vor78
That's crazy. What's next, wiretapping reporters phones and putting monitors in news rooms?

How many of those reporters do you think are undercover 3 letters. They sent a suggestion to the GOP, believe me!

The total naivete of some ATS members is astonishing...

Reporters do not have a right to infringe on anyone elses rights though. They also do not have the right to be included in senate briefings. its a privlidge. same as the white house press core. they dont have a right to be there its at the presidents whim.
I would suggest that sure let the press in but institute a rule restricting the distance they can be from a representative without a appointment. say 50 ft.