[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 12]
[House]
[Page 16787]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION ACT

  (Mr. PENCE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, freedom is not the business of the Republican 
Party or the Democratic Party alone. It is not the business of liberals 
or conservatives alone. Freedom is the work of every American and every 
Member of Congress.
  It was in that spirit that 3 years ago, I authored the Free Flow of 
Information Act with my colleague Congressman Rick Boucher from 
Virginia. The bill provides a qualified privilege to shield 
confidential sources from disclosure except in cases where national 
security or classified information is at issue.
  Last year, the House proved that freedom is not an issue alone in the 
province of the left or the right by passing the measure with an 
overwhelming bipartisan vote.
  Last week, the Washington Post and Washington Times proved the same. 
Newspapers with great liberal and conservative traditions alike have 
endorsed this vital legislation.
  We learned this morning that the Senate may consider the Free Flow of 
Information Act as soon as tomorrow, and so I respectfully rise to 
encourage our colleagues in the other body to remember, freedom is not 
the business of Republicans or Democrats, liberals or conservatives. 
Freedom is the work of every American and every Member Congress.
  I urge my Senate colleagues to do like the House did, come together 
in a bipartisan manner and put this stitch in a tear in the first 
amendment, freedom of the press.

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