ACLJ: More than 160,000 Americans Urge House to Consider Broadcaster Freedom Act to Prevent Return of Fairness Doctine

(Washington, DC) The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), focusing on constitutional law, said today it has received more than 160,000 signatures on a petition urging the U.S. House of Representatives to consider the Broadcaster Freedom Act, a measure that would prohibit the return of the Fairness Doctrine.  The ACLJ says it has received an additional 27,000 signatures in the last two weeks alone and the surge comes at a time when House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told reporters this week that she wants to see the Fairness Doctrine return and opposes efforts to free-up the Broadcaster Freedom Act so it will go to the House floor for a vote.

The American people understand that a return to the Fairness Doctrine puts the government in control of broadcast content and ultimately results in censorship for broadcasters including Christian programming, said Jay Sekulow, Chief Counsel of the ACLJ.  What is also clear is that Americans reject the strategy of House Speaker Pelosi and believe that the Broadcaster Freedom Act should receive an up-or-down vote in the House.  We will continue to work with Congressman Mike Pence of Indiana and others who are pushing forward to get the signatures needed on a Discharge Petition so the Broadcaster Freedom Act will receive the consideration it deserves in the House.

The Broadcaster Freedom Act, which has been bottled up in the House, can move directly to the House floor for an up-or-down vote if 218 members of the House must sign on to a discharge petition.  More House members continue to sign on with only 22 more signatures needed.

The ACLJ has heard from 160,000 Americans up from more than 133,000 just two weeks ago.  Those who have signed the ACLJ petition urge members of Congress to sign on to the Discharge Petition.

The ACLJ Legislative Affairs team today is hand-delivering petition results to members of the House who have not yet signed on to the Discharge Petition.

Led by Chief Counsel Jay Sekulow, the American Center for Law and Justice focuses on constitutional law and is based in Washington, D.C.