S.Res. 715

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 715 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. RES. 715

Recognizing escalating threats to freedom of the press and freedom of 
speech worldwide, including increasing harm to journalists reporting in 
conflict zones and under repressive regimes, reaffirming the vital role 
that a free and independent press plays in upholding democracy, 
fostering economic prosperity, and keeping the public informed, and 
reaffirming freedom of the press as a priority of the United States 
Government in supporting democracy, human rights, and good governance 
in commemoration of ``World Press Freedom Day'' on May 3, 2026.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

April 30, 2026

Mr. Schatz (for himself, Mr. Welch, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Kaine, 
Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Schiff, Mr. Coons, and Mr. Bennet) submitted the 
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

RESOLUTION

Recognizing escalating threats to freedom of the press and freedom of 
speech worldwide, including increasing harm to journalists reporting in 
conflict zones and under repressive regimes, reaffirming the vital role 
that a free and independent press plays in upholding democracy, 
fostering economic prosperity, and keeping the public informed, and 
reaffirming freedom of the press as a priority of the United States 
Government in supporting democracy, human rights, and good governance 
in commemoration of ``World Press Freedom Day'' on May 3, 2026.

Whereas freedom of the press is foundational to American democracy and has been 
enshrined in the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and 
in various State constitutions;
Whereas a free and independent press around the world supports United States 
foreign policy goals of countering authoritarianism and promoting 
democratic governance and human rights, including rights enshrined in 
the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151 et seq.) and other 
laws, by refuting propaganda and enhancing public accountability, 
transparency, and participation in civil society;
Whereas a robust independent press plays a key role in exposing and refuting 
malign influence campaigns used by authoritarian governments, including 
the Russian Federation and the People's Republic of China;
Whereas the censorship, victimization, and killing of journalists around the 
world, particularly in war zones, has profound implications for the 
ability of the public, including Americans, to be informed about 
conflicts with local, regional, and global ramifications and other 
issues;
Whereas the United States has advanced press freedom globally, including by 
leading the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which 
was adopted by the United Nations in Paris on December 10, 1948, and 
states, in article 19, ``Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion 
and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without 
interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas 
through any media and regardless of frontiers.'';
Whereas, in 1993, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed the third day 
of May of each year to be ``World Press Freedom Day''--

(1) to celebrate the fundamental principles of press freedom;

(2) to evaluate press freedom around the world;

(3) to defend the media against attacks on its independence; and

(4) to pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives while 
working in their profession;

Whereas Congress has passed legislation supporting press freedom abroad, 
including--

(1) the Daniel Pearl Freedom of the Press Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-
166), which expanded the examination of the freedom of the press around the 
world in the annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices published by 
the Department of State; and

(2) the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act (subtitle F of 
title XII of Public Law 114-328), which has been used to place targeted 
visa and economic sanctions on individuals for their roles in the targeted 
killings of journalists;

Whereas, in 2021, in an effort to combat attacks against journalists, the 
Department of State adopted the Khashoggi Ban pursuant to section 
212(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 
1182(a)(3)(C)), which imposes visa restrictions on individuals who, 
acting on behalf of a foreign government, are believed to have been 
directly engaged in serious, extraterritorial counter-dissident 
activities, including activities that suppress, harass, surveil, 
threaten, or harm journalists, activists, or other persons perceived to 
be dissidents for their work;
Whereas the United States Government has--

(1) supported broadcast journalism around the world to provide news to 
millions of people living under authoritarian regimes; and

(2) provided emergency assistance to journalists facing immediate risks 
to their lives as a result of their reporting;

Whereas Freedom House's Freedom in the World 2026 report marked the 20th 
consecutive year of decline in global freedom, with an estimated 40 
percent of the global population living in countries deemed ``Not 
Free'';
Whereas media freedom declined more than any other rights tracked by the Freedom 
in the World report during the last 20 years, fueled by attacks and 
prosecutions against journalists, pressure on media outlets, repressive 
regulatory and legal frameworks, internet shutdowns, unlawful efforts to 
undermine strong encryption, and blocks on online sources of 
information;
Whereas, according to the Reporters Without Borders' World Press Freedom Index, 
press freedom is at a 25-year low and, for the first time in the history 
of this Index, more than \1/2\ of the world's countries now fall into 
the ``difficult'' or ``very serious'' categories for press freedom;
Whereas Freedom House's Freedom on the Net 2025 report marked the 15th 
consecutive year of decline in global internet freedom, with people in 
at least 57 of the 72 countries covered facing legal repercussions for 
expressing themselves online (a record high) and people in 44 countries 
facing physical assaults or death for their online commentary;
Whereas there are alarming indications about growing divisions resulting from 
the spread of authoritarian information campaigns with the potential to 
weaken democratic societies;
Whereas United States journalists have been killed, injured, and imprisoned 
while reporting abroad, including--

(1) Christopher Allen, who was killed while covering the conflict in 
South Sudan on August 26, 2017, and for whom there has been no credible 
investigation to pursue justice after nearly 8 years;

(2) Austin Tice, who was kidnaped in Syria and has been missing since 
August 13, 2012;

(3) Brent Renaud, who was killed by Russian forces while covering the 
war in Ukraine on March 13, 2022;

(4) Shireen Abu Akleh, who was killed by Israeli forces on May 11, 
2022, while reporting in the West Bank;

(5) Evan Gershkovich, who was wrongfully detained in Russia from March 
2023 to August 2024 on baseless charges of espionage;

(6) Alsu Kurmasheva, who was wrongfully detained in Russia from October 
2023 to August 2024 on bogus charges of failure to register as a foreign 
agent; and

(7) Dylan Collins, a journalist at Agence France-Presse (AFP), who was 
injured in an attack on a group of journalists in southern Lebanon by 
Israeli forces on October 13, 2023;

Whereas more journalists and media workers were killed in 2025 than in any other 
year since the Committee to Protect Journalist began collecting data 
more than 3 decades ago;
Whereas, since October 7, 2023, at least 227 journalists and media workers have 
been killed in Israel, Gaza, and Lebanon, 207 of whom were Palestinians 
killed in Gaza by the Israeli military, making the Gaza conflict the 
deadliest on record for journalists, according to the Committee to 
Protect Journalists;
Whereas for the fifth year in a row, more than 300 journalists were imprisoned 
worldwide at the end of 2025, according to the Committee to Protect 
Journalists, including Zhang Zhan in the People's Republic of China, 
Yeris Curbelo Aguilera in Cuba, Mzia Amaglobeli in Georgia, RFE/RL 
journalist Nika Novak in Russia, RFE/RL journalist Farid Mehralizada in 
Azerbaijan, and former RFE/RL journalist and dual United States-Iranian 
national Reza Valizadeh in Iran;
Whereas, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists 2025 census, more 
than \1/3\ of these detained journalists are serving terms exceeding 5 
years, including--

(1) French journalist Christophe Gleizes in Algeria;

(2) Sevinj Vagifgizi in Azerbaijan;

(3) Dzianis Ivashyn in Belarus;

(4) Thomas Awah, Jr., Tsi Conrad, Amadou, Vamoulke, and Mancho Bibixy 
in Cameroon;

(5) Ilham Tohti, Jimmy Lai, and Dong Yuyu in the People's Republic of 
China and Hong Kong;

(6) Frenchie Mae Cumpio in the Philippines;

(7) Rukhshona Khakimova in Tajikistan;

(8) Dauletmurat Tazhimuratov in Uzbekistan; and

(9) Pham Doan Trang and Le Huu Minh Tuan in Vietnam;

Whereas, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists 2025 census, nearly 
\1/2\ of these detained journalists have never been sentenced, 
including--

(1) Dawit Isaak and Seyoum Tsehaye in Eritrea;

(2) Palestinian journalist Ali Al-Samoudi in Israel;

(3) Elsbeth D'Anda in Nicaragua; and

(4) Ukrainian journalists Anastasiya Glukhovska and Iryna Levchenko in 
Russia;

Whereas, according to PEN America, more than 400 writers and public 
intellectuals, including columnists and editorial journalists, were 
imprisoned across 40 different countries during 2025;
Whereas journalists and media outlets are targeted by government actors with 
sophisticated spyware products that pose a severe risk to their privacy 
and the security of their sources and families;
Whereas the censorship, victimization, and killing of journalists around the 
world, particularly in conflict zones, has obvious and profound 
implications for the ability of the public, including Americans, to be 
informed, including about conflicts with local, regional, and global 
ramifications; and
Whereas press freedom--

(1) is a key component of democratic governance, human rights, activism 
in civil society, and socioeconomic development; and

(2) enhances public accountability, transparency, and participation in 
civil society and democratic governance: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) declares that a free press--
(A) is a central component of free societies and 
democratic governance;
(B) contributes to an informed civil society and 
government accountability;
(C) helps to expose corruption;
(D) enhances public accountability and transparency 
of governments at all levels; and
(E) disseminates information that is essential to 
improving public health and safety;
(2) expresses concerns about threats to the exercise of 
freedom of expression, including by the press, around the 
world;
(3) recognizes and commends journalism's role in providing 
trusted, accurate, and timely information and in holding 
governments and leaders accountable to citizens, including for 
human rights abuses;
(4) recognizes the indispensable role of journalists and 
media outlets in informing voters and the international 
community about elections in multiple countries worldwide in 
2025;
(5) recognizes the critical importance of international 
journalists' access to conflict zones to conduct independent 
reporting;
(6) pays tribute to journalists who made tremendous 
sacrifices, including the loss of their lives, in the pursuit 
of truth and justice;
(7) condemns all actions around the world that suppress 
press freedom and endanger the safety of journalists;
(8) calls for the unconditional and immediate release of 
all wrongfully detained journalists;
(9) reaffirms the centrality of press freedom to efforts of 
the United States Government to support democracy, mitigate 
conflict, and promote human rights and good governance 
domestically and around the world; and
(10) calls upon the President and the Secretary of State--
(A) to preserve and build upon the leadership of 
the United States on issues relating to press freedom 
and journalist safety, on the basis of the protections 
for freedom of the press afforded to the American 
people under the First Amendment to the Constitution of 
the United States;
(B) to transparently investigate and bring to 
justice the perpetrators of attacks and threats against 
American journalists;
(C) to support transparent investigations and 
efforts to ensure accountability for attacks against 
journalists of other nationalities; and
(D) to promote the respect and protection of press 
freedom around the world.
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