Title: Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that newsgathering activities are protected under the First Amendment, and that the United States should drop all charges against and attempts to extradite Julian Assange.
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement

Summary:
This resolution expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that (1) newsgathering activities, including the publication of leaked classified information, are protected under the First Amendment to the Constitution; (2) freedom of the press is a vital function of a free society; and (3) the federal government should drop all espionage charges against Julian Assange.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1175 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1175

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that newsgathering 
activities are protected under the First Amendment, and that the United 
States should drop all charges against and attempts to extradite Julian 
                                Assange.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 2, 2020

   Ms. Gabbard (for herself and Mr. Massie) submitted the following 
    resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that newsgathering 
activities are protected under the First Amendment, and that the United 
States should drop all charges against and attempts to extradite Julian 
                                Assange.

Whereas the freedom of news organizations to acquire and publish information is 
        protected under the First Amendment to the Constitution;
Whereas, in 2010, Wikileaks disclosed a cache of hundreds of thousands of 
        Department of State cables, Guantanamo Bay detainee assessments, and 
        United States military reports related to the wars in Afghanistan and 
        Iraq;
Whereas the disclosure of United States military documents exposed war crimes 
        against civilians in the Middle East;
Whereas, in 2013, the Department of Justice declined to pursue charges against 
        Julian Assange for publishing classified documents due to what Justice 
        officials described as a ``New York Times problem'' which would cause 
        the prosecution of other news organizations and journalists who have 
        published classified material;
Whereas, on June 19, 2014, human rights and press freedom organizations sent a 
        letter to then-Attorney General Eric Holder urging him to close all 
        criminal investigations into Wikileaks and Julian Assange due to 
        concerns that ``actions against Wikileaks undermine the commitment of 
        the U.S. Government to freedom of speech'';
Whereas, on April 11, 2019, the London Metropolitan Police Service arrested 
        Julian Assange for outstanding warrants, including a provisional warrant 
        at the request of the United States Government;
Whereas the Department of Justice unsealed a March 2018 indictment against 
        Julian Assange for violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act;
Whereas, on May 23, 2019, a Federal grand jury issued a superseding indictment 
        adding 17 charges against Julian Assange for violation of the Espionage 
        Act;
Whereas, on June 10, 2019, the United States Government submitted a formal 
        request to the United Kingdom for the extradition of Julian Assange;
Whereas United States Government prosecutors now claim that any journalist or 
        news organization that publishes classified material is subject to 
        prosecution under the Espionage Act, which would have led to the 
        indictment of news organizations for the publication of the Pentagon 
        Papers;
Whereas press freedom, human rights, and privacy rights organizations across 
        five continents sent a letter to the Government of the United Kingdom 
        urging the immediate release of Julian Assange;
Whereas previous administrations have prosecuted whistleblowers and other 
        journalistic sources under the Espionage Act for leaking classified 
        information, the current Department of Justice has taken the further 
        step of going after the publisher;
Whereas the successful prosecution of Julian Assange under the Espionage Act 
        would allow the Federal Government to indict any news organization or 
        journalist for publishing classified information, which occurs on a 
        regular basis; and
Whereas the successful prosecution of Julian Assange under the Espionage Act 
        would have a profoundly detrimental impact on newsgathering and freedom 
        of the press: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives 
that--
            (1) newsgathering activities, including the publication of 
        leaked classified information, are protected under the First 
        Amendment to the Constitution;
            (2) freedom of the press is a vital function of a free 
        society in which government is accountable to the people; and
            (3) the Federal Government should drop all charges under 
        the Espionage Act against Julian Assange.
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