Issue One today joined a broad coalition of 43 media outlets, press freedom organizations, and government accountability nonprofits urging Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) to allow C-SPAN to independently control and broadcast House floor proceedings, just as they did during the recent debate over the election of the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
“Americans of all political stripes enjoyed and benefited from the vastly improved coverage of events on the House floor during the speakership negotiations,” the letter states. “Up-close views of impassioned discussions among representatives from across our country have bolstered our civic life by making our government more transparent. They have enabled the public to better engage with and understand the debates that animate the House of Representatives and enabled the press to better report on the conduct of our elected officials.”
The letter continues: “The footage humanizes those in power. It fosters greater understanding of their motives and of the interplay that is the give-and-take of democracy. It affords journalists and the public a more complete and accurate picture of what goes on in Congress. It makes it easier for the members striving to be understood by the public to make their case. Even lawmakers agree.”
“Not everyone can travel to Washington to observe their elected officials at work,” the letter goes on to say. “There is no reason for those Americans, from voters to journalists to school children, to be subject to an inferior perspective where so much more is possible.”
The letter further emphasizes how allowing for C-SPAN to independently control these cameras is vital to maintaining freedom of the press and a free chamber for all Americans.
