Boehner Challenges Comments by Democratic Sen. Bingaman on So-Called "Fairness" Doctrine

Release:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) today responded to comments by Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) strongly supporting revival of the outdated “Fairness Doctrine” – a 1940s-era law which would take away radio and television licenses if broadcasters express their opinions:

“I’m very troubled by Senator Bingaman’s comments supporting the revival of outdated government broadcast regulations that would return America to the days when Washington bureaucrats literally rationed free speech rights. Support for this disturbing idea is becoming more and more commonplace in a Congress that is controlled by the Democratic Party and increasingly determined to clamp down on the free expression of conservative viewpoints. The Senator joins a growing list of liberal Democratic leaders, including Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, and Senator John Kerry, who have indicated their strong support for the so-called Fairness Doctrine, a policy that would curtail the constitutional rights the Founding Fathers put in place at the beginning of the Republic. What Senator Bingaman refers to as a ‘higher calling’ for radio is, in reality, a thinly-veiled attempt to silence opinions and views with which he and other powerful Democrats disagree.”

NOTE: During a Tuesday radio interview on KKOB in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Senator Bingaman told host Jim Villanucci of his vigorous support for reinstating the Fairness Doctrine, noting that “for many, many years we operated under a Fairness Doctrine in this country, and I think the country was well-served.” An audio clip of the interview is available here.

Previous comments supporting the Fairness Doctrine by Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) are available here; comments by Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) are here; and comments by Senator John Kerry (D-MA) are here.

For the record, I have tried to get Team Voinovich to release a statement, but they seem to think having co-sponsored two bills and a miserable performance on Hannity's radio show is all they need to do to protect our First Amendment rights.