[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 71 (Wednesday, May 1, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2573-S2575]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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SENATE RESOLUTION 179--RECOGNIZING WIDENING THREATS TO FREEDOMS OF THE 
PRESS AND EXPRESSION AROUND THE WORLD, REAFFIRMING THE CENTRALITY OF A 
FREE AND INDEPENDENT PRESS TO THE HEALTH OF DEMOCRACY, AND REAFFIRMING 
 FREEDOM OF THE PRESS AS A PRIORITY OF THE UNITED STATES IN PROMOTING 
DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND GOOD GOVERNANCE IN COMMEMORATION OF WORLD 
                    PRESS FREEDOM DAY ON MAY 3, 2019

  Mr. MENENDEZ (for himself, Mr. Rubio, Mr. Casey, Mr. Moran, Mr. 
Markey, Mr. Cornyn, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Gardner, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Kaine, 
Mrs. Shaheen, Mr. Coons, and Mr. Durbin) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations:

                              S. Res. 179

       Whereas Article 19 of the United Nations Universal 
     Declaration of Human Rights, adopted at Paris December 10, 
     1948, states, ``Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion 
     and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions 
     without interference and to seek, receive and impart 
     information and ideas through any media and regardless of 
     frontiers.'';
       Whereas, in 1993, the United Nations General Assembly 
     proclaimed May 3 of each year as ``World Press Freedom 
     Day''--
       (1) to celebrate the fundamental principles of freedom of 
     the press;
       (2) to evaluate freedom of the press around the world;
       (3) to defend the media against attacks on its 
     independence; and
       (4) to pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives 
     while working in their profession;
       Whereas, on December 18, 2013, the United Nations General 
     Assembly adopted Resolution 68/163 on the safety of 
     journalists and the problem of impunity, which unequivocally 
     condemns all attacks on, and violence against, journalists 
     and media workers, including torture, extrajudicial killing, 
     enforced disappearance, arbitrary detention, and intimidation 
     and harassment in conflict and nonconflict situations;
       Whereas the theme for World Press Freedom Day on May 3, 
     2019 is ``Media for Democracy: Journalism and Democracy in 
     Times of Disinformation'';
       Whereas Thomas Jefferson, who recognized the importance of 
     the press in a constitutional republic, wisely declared, 
     ``... were it left to me to decide whether we should have a 
     government without newspapers, or newspapers without a 
     government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the 
     latter.'';
       Whereas the Daniel Pearl Freedom of the Press Act of 2009 
     (Public Law 111-166; 22 U.S.C. 2151 note), which the Senate 
     passed by unanimous consent and President Barack Obama signed 
     into law in 2010, expanded the examination of the freedom of 
     the press around the world in the annual country reports on 
     human rights practices of the Department of State;
       Whereas the 2019 World Press Freedom Index, published by 
     Reporters Without Borders, warns ``The number of countries 
     regarded as safe, where journalists can work in complete 
     security, continues to decline, while authoritarian regimes 
     tighten their grip on the media.'';
       Whereas, Freedom House's publication ``Freedom in the World 
     2019'' noted that global freedom of expression has declined 
     each year for the past 13 years;
       Whereas, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 
     in 2018--
       (1) at least 54 journalists were killed around the world 
     for their work, of which at least 34 were singled out for 
     murder;
       (2) the 2 deadliest countries for journalists on assignment 
     were Afghanistan and Syria;
       (3) the most dangerous subject for a journalist to report 
     on was politics, followed by war;
       (4) 251 journalists worldwide were in prison, with Turkey, 
     China, and Egypt responsible for more than \1/2\ of the 
     jailed journalists;
       (5) 13 percent of the journalists in jail were female, an 
     increase from 8 percent in 2017;
       (6) 70 percent of the journalists who were imprisoned 
     around the world faced anti-state charges, such as belonging 
     to or aiding groups deemed by authorities as terrorist 
     organizations; and
       (7) the number of journalists imprisoned on charges of 
     false news rose to 28 globally, compared with 9 such 
     imprisonments in 2016;
       Whereas, Reuters journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, 
     recipients of the 2018 PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Award--
       (1) were arrested in December 2017 for investigating the 
     murder by the Burmese military of 10 Rohingya men in the 
     village of Inn Dinn in Rakhine State; and
       (2) were sentenced in September 2018 to 7 years in prison 
     on fraudulent charges of breaching the colonial-era Official 
     Secrets Act, and remain unjustly imprisoned;
       Whereas freedom of the press has been under considerable 
     pressure in recent years throughout Southeast Asia, including 
     in the Philippines, where the government has waged a campaign 
     of judicial harassment against the news website Rappler and 
     its editor, Maria Ressa;
       Whereas, Nouf Abdulaziz, Loujain Al-Hathloul, and Eman Al-
     Nafjan, recipients of the 2019 PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write 
     Award, who wrote in opposition to Saudi Arabia's repressive 
     Guardianship system, have been subjected to imprisonment, 
     solitary confinement, and torture by the Government of the 
     Kingdom of Saudi Arabia since May 2018 in an apparent effort 
     to suppress dissent and silence the voices of women;
       Whereas, Washington Post journalist and United States 
     resident Jamal Khashoggi was murdered by a team of Saudi 
     operatives while visiting the Saudi Arabian consulate in 
     Istanbul, Turkey;
       Whereas the Central Intelligence Agency concluded with high 
     confidence, and the Senate unanimously approved a resolution 
     stating, that Mr. Khashoggi's murder was carried out at the 
     behest of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman;
       Whereas journalist Mimi Mefo Takambou was jailed for 4 days 
     in Cameroon in November 2018 on charges of spreading false 
     news while investigating the death of an American missionary, 
     where 4 out of the 7 total journalists imprisoned in Cameroon 
     were jailed for spreading false news, which is a rising trend 
     in Cameroon and elsewhere around the world;
       Whereas according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 
     at least 26 journalists were killed in Honduras since 2007, 
     making it one of the most deadly countries for journalists in 
     the Americas, and where journalist Leonardo Gabriel Hernandez 
     was murdered in March 2019 after receiving threats related to 
     his work;
       Whereas in Nicaragua, Miguel Mora and Lucia Pineda Ubau, 
     the directors of the country's only 24-hour cable news 
     network,

[[Page S2574]]

     have been jailed since December 2018 on charges of fomenting 
     hate, spreading fake news, and terrorism, and prominent 
     journalist Carlos Fernando Chamorro has fled the country as 
     President Daniel Ortega cracks down on free expression in a 
     bid to silence dissent and end the protests against him;
       Whereas in Mexico, which remains the most dangerous country 
     in the Western Hemisphere for journalists--
       (1) murders, death threats, and legal impunity cause 
     journalists to self censor their reporting out of fear; and
       (2) Rafael Murua Manriquez was abducted and murdered in 
     January 2019 after reporting threats from an official in the 
     municipal government for critical reporting;
       Whereas Slovakian journalist Jan Kuciak and his partner 
     Martina Kusnirova were murdered in February 2018, allegedly 
     in retaliation for his investigative reporting of tax fraud 
     in connection to a businessman with close ties to Slovakia's 
     ruling party, where the perpetrator awaits trial, just 4 
     months after the murder of another European journalist, 
     Malta's Daphne Caruana Galizia, for her reporting on 
     corruption;
       Whereas the world's growing cadre of ethical and hard-
     hitting investigative journalists, including those 
     contributing to the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting 
     Project--
       (1) adhere to the highest professional standards;
       (2) uncover abuses and corruption being committed in their 
     own countries; and
       (3) deserve the international community's support and 
     praise for taking on the risky job of fostering 
     accountability and transparency in their respective 
     countries;
       Whereas, under the auspices of the United States Agency for 
     Global Media, the United States Government provides financial 
     assistance to several editorially independent media outlets, 
     including Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 
     Radio Free Asia, Radio y Television Marti, and the Middle 
     East Broadcast Networks--
       (1) which report and broadcast news, information, and 
     analysis in critical regions around the world; and
       (2) whose journalists regularly face harassment, fines, and 
     imprisonment for their work;
       Whereas freedom of the press--
       (1) is a key component of democratic governance, activism 
     in civil society, and socioeconomic development; and
       (2) enhances public accountability, transparency, and 
     participation in civil society and democratic governance:
       Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) expresses concern about threats to freedom of the press 
     and free expression around the world on the occasion of World 
     Press Freedom Day on May 3, 2019;
       (2) commends journalists and media workers around the 
     world, despite threats to their safety, for their essential 
     role in--
       (A) promoting government accountability;
       (B) defending democratic activity; and
       (C) strengthening civil society;
       (3) pays tribute to journalists who have lost their lives 
     carrying out their work;
       (4) calls on governments abroad to implement United Nations 
     General Assembly Resolution 163 (2013) by thoroughly 
     investigating and seeking to resolve outstanding cases of 
     violence against journalists, including murders and 
     kidnappings, while ensuring the protection of witnesses;
       (5) condemns all actions around the world that suppress 
     freedom of the press;
       (6) reaffirms the centrality of freedom of the press to 
     efforts of the United States Government to support democracy, 
     mitigate conflict, and promote good governance domestically 
     and around the world; and
       (7) calls on the President and the Secretary of State--
       (A) to preserve and build upon the leadership of the United 
     States on issues relating to freedom of the press, on the 
     basis of the protections afforded the American people under 
     the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States;
       (B) to improve the rapid identification, publication, and 
     response by the United States Government to threats against 
     freedom of the press around the world;
       (C) to urge foreign governments to transparently 
     investigate and bring to justice the perpetrators of attacks 
     against journalists; and
       (D) to highlight the issue of threats against freedom of 
     the press in the annual country reports on human rights 
     practices of the Department of State and through diplomatic 
     channels.

  Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, freedom of the press is a fundamental 
human right, a foundational pillar of democracy, and an indispensable 
check on authoritarian overreach. Today, press freedom is under assault 
across the globe--including in the United States. As journalists fight 
to advance truth and objectivity, far too many governments and non-
state actors are targeting them, seeking to thwart their efforts to 
promote transparency and accountability and expose abuses of power. 
Their focus on attacking journalists indeed serves to highlight their 
critical work.
  Since 2009, 659 journalists and media workers have been killed in 
connection with their efforts to report and disseminate news and 
information. Stories of abuses of government power, of human suffering, 
of environmental disasters, and stories of the remarkable resilience of 
people abused and oppressed. 2018 marked the worst year on record for 
deadly violence and abuse toward journalists, with murders, 
imprisonment, hostage-taking, and enforced disappearances all on the 
rise.
  Slovak journalist Jan Kuciak and his partner Martina Kusnirova were 
gunned down in their home after investigating organized crime in his 
country and in alleged retaliation for his reporting of tax fraud on a 
businessman with close ties to Slovakia's ruling party, a stark 
reminder of the danger reporters sometimes face when investigating 
corruption at the highest levels.
  Just over a year ago, in the deadliest day for Afghanistan's media 
since the start of the war, nine journalists were killed in a second-
wave suicide bombing in Kabul, and another was shot dead in the eastern 
city of Khost, a sign of the constant threat against the fundamental 
elements of a free, secure, and democratic Afghanistan.
  Last October, at the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul, Washington 
Post columnist and U.S. resident Jamal Khashoggi was brutally murdered 
by a group of Saudi operatives at the behest of Crown Prince Mohammed 
bin Salman, showing the reach of political oppression and the silencing 
of dissent.
  In many cases, crimes carried out against the media go unpunished--
this includes murder, the ultimate form of censorship. According to the 
Committee to Protect Journalists, in nine out of 10 cases where a 
journalist has been targeted for murder, the perpetrator goes free, 
reflecting widespread impunity in this space.
  In 2018, across the world 251 journalists remained imprisoned on 
charges related to their reporting. Last month, Burma's Supreme Court 
upheld the conviction and prison sentence of Pulitzer Prize-winning 
reporters Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, who were arrested after exposing the 
massacre of ten Rohingya men in a village in Rakhine State. In 
Nicaragua, Miguel Mora and Lucia Pineda Ubau, directors of the 
country's only 24-hour cable news network, were jailed on charges of 
fomenting hate, spreading fake news, and terrorism, falling victim to 
President Daniel Ortega's widespread crackdown on dissent and freedom 
of expression. While in different countries, these ongoing 
imprisonments are in countries with degrading records on human rights 
and fundamental freedoms more broadly.
  In the last year, governments have ramped up similar attempts to 
silence the press in places like Turkey and the Philippines. Beyond 
threats to journalists themselves, governments across the world from 
Poland to Sudan continue to pursue legislative efforts to restrict 
media freedom and free expression, ultimately weakening the ability of 
citizens to hold their governments accountable. In Bangladesh, 
photojournalist and human rights advocate Shahidul Alam faced torture 
and spent 107 days in prison for violating a law that forbids criticism 
of the government on digital platforms in his native Bangladesh. One of 
several journalists who were named Time's Person of the Year in 2018 
for being one of ``the guardians'' in the face of the ``war on truth,'' 
he expressed, ``The world over, journalism is under threat. Whether 
you're a teacher, a dancer, a painter, or a journalist, each one of us 
needs to be constantly fighting.''
  But the threat to press freedom isn't limited to foreign lands--it is 
something we've had to increasingly contend with here at home in the 
United States. President Trump continues to employ dangerous rhetoric 
in targeting the media, referring to the free press as the ``enemy of 
the people,'' and fostering an environment of hostility toward 
journalists. Moreover, he refuses to hold autocratic world leaders 
accountable as they attack press freedom in brazen ways, including 
targeting American journalists in places like Egypt. This only adds to 
the deterioration in free expression throughout the world. As a recent 
report from Reporters Without Borders highlights, ``The number of 
countries regarded as safe, where journalists can work in complete 
security, continues to decline, while authoritarian regimes continue to 
tighten their grip on the media.''

[[Page S2575]]

  In spite of the unprecedented assault on the free press, journalists 
continue to take significant risks in the pursuit of truth and 
transparency. Journalists from Radio Free Asia have relentlessly 
covered the Chinese government's gross human rights abuses against the 
country's Uyghur minority, including mass internment and surveillance 
in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR). If not for the work of 
these courageous reporters--many of whom are Uyghurs themselves, having 
to report on abuses exacted against their families and friends--Chinese 
authorities would be able to commit such abuses largely in secrecy. 
Instead, those who champion human rights will be able to use the 
reporting in order to hold this repressive government to account.
  Over 200 years ago, our Founding Fathers had the foresight to 
recognize the importance of a free press to a fledgling democracy, 
enshrining it in our first amendment. Today, that importance cannot be 
overstated. Recognizing that societies where informed citizens can hold 
their governments accountable are more stable, secure, and prosperous, 
we have a responsibility to stand up for the fundamental right of free 
expression and free press. I join the international community in 
honoring and defending freedom of expression and the brave journalists 
seeking to tell a story that deserves to be told. In fact, the very 
fact the repressive governments, autocrats, and thugs continue to 
attack journalists is a tragic testament to the critical work they do. 
Just yesterday, the Maduro government in Venezuela took CNN off the air 
while the network was broadcasting live video of protestors being run 
over by military vehicles in Caracas, a transparent attempt by a 
criminal regime to silence journalists telling the story of brave 
Venezuelans standing up for their democratic aspirations.
  This week, I introduced a resolution commemorating World Press 
Freedom Day. The resolution highlights increasing threats to freedoms 
of the press and expression worldwide, reaffirms the centrality of a 
free and independent press to the health of democracy, and reiterates 
freedom of the press as a priority of the United States in promoting 
democracy, human rights, and good governance. On this World Press 
Freedom Day, I call on the Trump administration to reverse course and 
recommit to advancing press freedom--both at home and abroad.''

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