Posted on 07/14/2017 9:21:37 AM PDT by jazusamo
Democratic congressman Jim Himes (D-Conn.) introduced a bill on Thursday requiring the White House to provide at least two on-camera press briefings per week.
The bill, called the "Free Press Act," requires the White House to provide for at least two press briefings each week and requires that those briefings be video recorded," according to a press release.
President Trump has displayed an overtly hostile attitude toward the press since the early days of the presidential campaign, said Himes. Aggressiveness toward reporters was a hallmark of many Trump rallies, where it was common for members of the media to be threatened and intimidated.
"This simple bill achieves two important goals," Himes continued. "First, it ensures that the press briefings will continue on a regular schedule. Second, it guarantees the American people have access to the proceedings first hand."
A free and independent press is essential to the survival of a functioning democracy, he added. The medias role is to ask the tough questions on behalf of the American public and work to hold our leaders accountable. I hope this bill helps push back on the efforts of this, or any, administration to suppress this necessary reporting.
White House press briefings have been occurring less in recent weeks after being an almost-daily occurrence in the first few months of the administration.
On-camera briefings are particularly less frequent, with the last one occurring on June 27.
Former White House press secretaries Ari Fleischer, who served under President George W. Bush, and Mike McCurry, who served under President Bill Clinton, both advocate abandoning on-camera press briefings due to the theatrics that come with it, stating it's "better for the public."
The Hill has reached out to the White House Press Office for comment.
LOL!
Otherwise known as the "Vain, Narcissistic, Egotistical, Self-Obsessed Reporters Protection Act"
If I were actually in Congress, this is what I would do. Attach stupid amendments to every stupid bill being floated by a Democrat.
> This simple bill achieves two important goals
And there are 2 simple ways to avoid those goals
1) Do like Obama and send someone out to lie about everything that matters (i.e. “it was caused by a video”)
2) Hire an intern whose main responsibility is to bring people coffee/tea/drinks. He/she can start each presser saying who got coffee (or tea or ...) and cream/sugar that day. Then answer every other question with “I’ll have someone get back to you on that”. Then turn the cameras off and bring in someone with knowledge to answer questions if anyone wants to get information without getting their face on camera.
So I have to assume the actual goal is to give the media another issue to attack Trump (”he’s SOOOO BAD congress needs a bill to make him behave”).
Ideally we would have frequent on-camera press conferences with different members of the administration (not always a PR spokesperson). But then, ideally we’d have a press that is looking out for “we the people” rather than trying to get Ds elected and pressers would be an important transparency into the way we are represented rather than a tool to mislead us.
“followed by the presidents breakfast and full reading of any legislation he is promoting.”
Don’t forget eating two scoops of Ice Cream!
Compelling any Administration to have a certain number of briefings on TV per week would seem to be self-defeating, at the minimum. Briefings held on TV have pretty much just turned into “reality shows” and circus atmospheres, with little or no useful information being imparted.
The “gaggles” almost always provide a great deal more solid and meaningful information than this audience participation show, especially as none of the information may be released until after the briefing is over, and nobody gets to star as the one badgering the spokesperson.
Trump...”This is our very first required briefing.... there is no actions to brief
you on.
Thanks for attending...have a nice weekend
See you all Monday for our second briefing”
like rush says...
when they are in power, they are dangerous
when they are out of power, they are hilarious.
this falls into the latter category, methinks
“Well, I was born in Rhode Island ...
So that must make me a Rhode Island Red ...”
Careful, the House Unamerican Activities Committee could be called back into business.
Actually though, aren’t you fed up with all these hyphenated Americans? The point of conferring US Citizenship was supposed to be predicated on becoming an American and subordinating all the crap about where you came from to that end.
Well THAT explains it. The Ford Foundation is about
as far-left as it gets.
The medias role is to ask the tough questions on behalf of the American public and work to hold our leaders accountable
_______________________
I vehemently disagree with this statement.
It is NOT the medias “role” to hold leaders accountable. It is not their “role” to ask tough questions “on behalf of” the public. We the People can hold our elected leaders accountable on our own and have no need for some puke to ask “tough” questions.
The media should be reminded that none of us elected any of them. Their job, paid for by their employer, is to report the news where they can find it - not have it served on a platter. They have no Constitutional right of access and can not compel anyone to speak with them or be filmed by them.
..there are no actions....for all those outside of DC
“Well THAT explains it. The Ford Foundation is about
as far-left as it gets.”
Yes, and the a$$hole has a law degree from Harvard which is the other dead giveaway. If we could only shut down Harvard, Yale, Princeton,.......et. al. this country could climb out of the sewer these “institutions” have created.
LOL!
Right on. Himes thinks President Trump will sign the bill as a courtesy to this idiots mental impairment.
That’s fine...The Press Secretary can go on air and tell everyone what the President had for lunch, then end the “briefing”....
This is what he thinks is of utmost importance to the American people?
How about a bill requiring all congresslosers and their loser staff to follow all the laws that Citizens must follow? How about a law that requires random drug-testing or all congressloser and their loser staff? How about a bill requiring IRS audits of all congresslosers and their loser staff?
Hmmm, so the Constitution calls for separate branches but this buffoon calls for congressional oversight of the executive branch.
Good luck with that one.
You wonder how these people manage to pour milk on their cereal without help.
Well, I guess it’s no more stupid than the R’s voting to repeal obamacare several times a year - until they actually have the power to win...
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