Senate Republicans back off proposed restrictions on media

[Jimbo101]

The Hill

Senate Republicans on Tuesday quickly backed away from a proposal to restrict media access in the Capitol after an angry backlash from reporters and an emergency meeting between the Senate Rules Committee and the media gallery directors.

Senate Rules Committee Chairman Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) sent out a statement around lunchtime clarifying that there would not be a rules change, only a discussion about how to ensure safety as the Capitol hallways have become more hectic because of growing crowds of journalists.

Shelby announced in a statement that the committee had made “no changes to the existing rules governing press coverage on the Senate side of the Capitol complex.”

A Senate official familiar with administrative discussions said, “Everything you did before, you can still do.”

It was an abrupt 180-degree turn from earlier in the day, when Senate Sergeant at Arms staff informed the press galleries of tough new restrictions.

[furtheradu]

1. KICK! for more eyes..

Stuff happens when WE & the media get noisy.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

2. Never mind

[KelleyKramer]

3. "because of growing crowds of journalist"

Well, senator Shelby, why are there growing crowds of journalist in the halls of Congress???