Boehner Calls on Democratic Colleagues to Support Free Speech & Sign Pence Petition to Ban Fairness Doctrine

This just in...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a news conference this afternoon, House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) today renewed his call for House Democrats to sign a discharge petition filed last fall by Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) to force a vote on a measure – the Broadcaster Freedom Act – to permanently ban the Fairness Doctrine. First established in the 1940s, when there were relatively few radio and television stations compared to today, the Fairness Doctrine was meant to ensure that the limited numbers of media outlets would offer people a full spectrum of news and opinion. However, the proliferation of television, radio, print, and Internet media has transformed the doctrine into little more than a vehicle for the federal government to restrict free speech on the public airwaves, particularly talk radio.



Boehner issued the following statement:

“Last June, 309 Members of Congress supported an effort to block the so-called ‘Fairness Doctrine’ for one year. However, with that moratorium about to expire, House Democrats – including many who voted to block the Fairness Doctrine last June – are standing in the way of permanently banning this heavy-handed restriction on free speech. Those Democrats must be held accountable for undercutting the free speech rights of the men and women they represent in Congress. Let’s be clear: the time for the Fairness Doctrine has come and gone. Reviving it would undermine the very constitutional rights our Founding Fathers established from the outset of our Republic. If Democrats are truly serious about protecting Americans’ freedom of speech, it’s time for them to sign the Pence discharge petition.”

NOTE: In June 2007, 309 Members of the House voted to support a one-year moratorium on the Fairness Doctrine authored by Rep. Pence. Pence’s discharge petition would force a House vote on permanently banning the doctrine.

The so-called Fairness Doctrine is fascist an freedom-loving people everywhere ought to scream out that it be put to bed permenantly.