It wasn’t even close. The Federal Press Shield Law was passed by the House of Representatives by a 398-21 margin, getting an even higher percentage of yea votes than a similar bill received from the Senate Judiciary Committee, which voted 15-2 to move the bill forward. Rick Boucher (D-VA), John Conyers (D-MI), Mike Pence (R-IN), Howard Coble (R-NC) and John Yarmuth (D-KY) in the House and Sens. Richard Lugar (R-IN) and Christopher Dodd (D-CT) in the Senate have been the driving forces behind the measure. "Thanks to all RTNDA members who took the time to contact their representatives in support of the federal shield law. They sent a message that protecting confidential sources not only safeguards a free press, but also preserves the public’s right to know," RTNDA president Barbara Cochran said. "We’ll focus on the Senate next to keep the momentum going." There may be overwhelming support for the bill in Congress, but the White House is known to be opposed to the bill, meaning an Oval Office signature may be hard to come by.
