House GOP renews press for measure on Fairness Doctrine
By Jackie Kucinich
Posted: 06/11/08 07:42 PM [ET]
House Republican leaders and conservative groups gathered in the afternoon heat Wednesday to call for Democrats to sign a discharge petition that would force a floor vote to ban the so-called Fairness Doctrine.


Brent Bozell, president of the Media Research Center; Americans for Tax Reform’s Grover Norquist; Craig Parshall from the National Religious Broadcasters; and syndicated radio host Laura Ingraham joined Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) and House leaders to encourage listeners of conservative programs to contact Democratic members before July 4.



Pence filed the Broadcaster Freedom Act as a discharge petition last October. It has 194 Republican signatures, but no Democrats have signed on. A discharge petition needs 218 signatures to force a floor vote.


Pence’s measure has broad bipartisan support, having overwhelmingly passed last year an amendment to a spending bill. The provisions were later dropped in conference.


Republicans insist that the so-called Fairness Doctrine, which requires radio stations to give equal time for Democratic and Republican programming — would cripple conservative radio.


Pence’s bill would prohibit the president from reinstating the Fairness Doctrine without congressional action.

Some Democrats have said it makes little sense to ban something that doesn’t exist.


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