Help Kill the Fairness Doctrine

Congressman Mike Pence wrote this over at Red State.

Hey folks,

I wanted to drop by and let you know we could really use your help on an issue that I’m sure is important to most of you:  freedom of speech on the airwaves.

Yesterday Speaker Pelosi said she wants to bring back the Fairness Doctrine.  Here is the critical exchange between her and John Gizzi:

“Do you personally support revival of the ‘Fairness Doctrine?’” I asked.??“Yes,” the speaker replied, without hesitation.

Click here to read the whole story where Speaker Pelosi says it’s in the “interest of my caucus” to bring the Fairness Doctrine back.

From my years in radio and television, I have long battled the specter of the so-called ‘Fairness Doctrine.’ This archaic relic of a bygone era would bring back government control over political views expressed on the airwaves.  In short, the Fairness Doctrine is a threat to Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and every other conservative talk radio show host in America.

(Read more below the fold)

To combat this, Congressman Greg Walden and I introduced the Broadcaster Freedom Act, a bill that would prevent any future president from ever reinstating the Fairness Doctrine without and act of Congress.

However, Speaker Pelosi refuses to bring the bill to the floor for a vote, even though more than 300 of my colleagues, including more than 100 Democrats, voted for an amendment last summer at this time that would put a one-year moratorium on the Fairness Doctrine.

In order to force a vote, we filed a discharge petition.  All we need are 218 signatures (a simple majority) on the petition to bring the bill to the floor and kill the Fairness Doctrine forever.  Almost every Republican in the House has signed.

But no Democrats.

We need your help in putting pressure on Democrats to sign the petition so we can get an up or down vote on the Broadcaster Freedom Act.  If we get a vote, I know it will pass.

But we’ve got to get it to the floor for a vote.

I would respectfully say to the Speaker: ‘defending freedom is the paramount interest of every Member of the American Congress.’

Please call your member of Congress today and ask them to sign the discharge petition for broadcast freedom.

The number is 202-224-3121.

IMPORTANT:  If the office you contact claims their Member of Congress supported the Pence Amendment, which was a one-year moratorium on the Fairness Doctrine, don’t let them off the hook. Ask them to continue their support for freedom of speech by signing the discharge petition, which would ban the Fairness Doctrine forever.