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S. 2035 - Free Flow of Information Act of 2007

Law. 110th Congress (2007-2008) View bill details
Sponsor:
Summary:
A bill to maintain the free flow of information to the public by providing conditions for the federally compelled disclosure of information by certain persons connected with the news media. (by CRS) 
Status:
The bill has passed through committee and has been put on a legislative calendar. 
There have been no votes on passage on this bill.
Other Votes:

Free Flow of Information Act of 2007

S. 2035 — 110th Congress (2007–2008)

Summary
A bill to maintain the free flow of information to the public by providing conditions for the federally compelled disclosure of information by certain persons connected with the news media. (by CRS)
Learn More
At OpenCongress
Title
A bill to maintain the free flow of information to the public by providing conditions for the federally compelled disclosure of information by certain persons connected with the news media.
Other Titles
  • Free Flow of Information Act of 2007
  • Free Flow of Information Act of 2007
Sponsor
Arlen Specter
Co-Sponsors
Subjects
  • Law
  • Authors and authorship
  • Business
  • Business records
  • Civil liberties
  • Communications
  • Confidential communications
  • Criminal investigation
  • Criminal justice
  • Criminal procedure
  • Discovery (Law)
  • Evidence (Law)
  • Freedom of the press
  • Humanities
  • Informers
  • Internet
  • Journalism
  • Journalistic ethics
  • Press
  • Prosecution
  • Reporters and reporting
  • Subpoena
  • Technology
  • Telecommunication
  • Terrorism
  • Witnesses
Related Bills
Major Actions
Introduced9/10/2007
Referred to Committee
Bill History
Chamber/CommitteeMotionDateResult
select this voteSenateMotion to Invoke Cloture on the Motion to Proceed to Consider S. 20357/30/2008This motion DID NOT PASS the Senate
51 voted YES 43 voted NO 6 voted present/not voting
ActionDateDescription
Introduced9/10/2007
9/10/2007Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S11329-11330)
9/10/2007Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
9/27/2007Committee on the Judiciary. Committee consideration and Mark Up Session held.
Put on a legislative calendar10/04/2007Committee on the Judiciary. Ordered to be reported with amendments favorably.
10/22/2007Committee on the Judiciary. Reported by Senator Leahy with amendments. Without written report.
Put on a legislative calendar10/22/2007Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 434.
7/28/2008Motion to proceed to consideration of measure made in Senate.
7/28/2008Motion to proceed to consideration of measure withdrawn in Senate.
7/28/2008Cloture motion on the motion to proceed to the measure presented in Senate. (consideration: CR S7554; text: CCR S7554)
7/29/2008Motion to proceed to measure considered in Senate.
7/30/2008Motion to proceed to measure considered in Senate.
7/30/2008Motion by Senator Reid to reconsider the vote by which cloture was not invoked on the motion to proceed to the measure (Record Vote Number 191) entered in Senate.
7/30/2008Motion to proceed to consideration of measure withdrawn in Senate.
select this voteVote7/30/2008Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Motion to Proceed to Consider S. 2035
NumberSponsorDate OfferedStatus
scale for bar graph of contributions

Contributions

  1. January - February 2003 For $939,669 Against $0
  2. March - April 2003 For $2,075,609 Against $0
  3. May - June 2003 For $2,452,580 Against $0
  4. July - August 2003 For $1,158,197 Against $0
  5. September - October 2003 For $2,203,122 Against $0
  6. November - December 2003 For $2,152,606 Against $0
  7. January - February 2004 For $1,630,687 Against $0
  8. March - April 2004 For $2,618,566 Against $0
  9. May - June 2004 For $3,206,718 Against $0
  10. July - August 2004 For $1,829,675 Against $0
  11. September - October 2004 For $3,667,292 Against $0
  12. November - December 2004 For $757,091 Against $0
  13. January - February 2005 For $1,080,912 Against $0
  14. March - April 2005 For $3,249,213 Against $0
  15. May - June 2005 For $4,035,659 Against $0
  16. July - August 2005 For $1,539,053 Against $0
  17. September - October 2005 For $3,200,808 Against $0
  18. November - December 2005 For $3,683,750 Against $0
  19. January - February 2006 For $1,355,016 Against $0
  20. March - April 2006 For $4,049,129 Against $0
  21. May - June 2006 For $4,129,587 Against $0
  22. July - August 2006 For $2,408,232 Against $0
  23. September - October 2006 For $5,237,536 Against $0
  24. November - December 2006 For $1,636,071 Against $0
  25. January - February 2007 For $1,149,960 Against $0
  26. March - April 2007 For $2,666,965 Against $0
  27. May - June 2007 For $2,840,598 Against $0
  28. July - August 2007 For $1,039,564 Against $0
  29. September - October 2007 For $2,017,779 Against $0
  30. November - December 2007 For $2,052,315 Against $0
  31. January - February 2008 For $990,246 Against $0
  32. March - April 2008 For $1,912,726 Against $0
  33. May - June 2008 For $1,792,747 Against $0
  34. July - August 2008 For $1,704,207 Against $0
  35. September - October 2008 For $1,762,246 Against $0
  36. November - December 2008 For $810,901 Against $0

Votes

31 Organizations Supported and 1 Opposed; See Which Ones
31 Organizations Supported and 1 Opposed; See Which Ones

Organizations that took a position on
Free Flow of Information Act of 2007

31 organizations supported this bill

Advance Publications, Inc.
(n.d.). Coalition Letter. Retrieved n.d., from .
American Business Media
(n.d.). Coalition Letter. Retrieved n.d., from .
American Society of Newspaper Editors
(n.d.). Talking Points: S 2035. Retrieved n.d., from .
Associated Press
(n.d.). Coalition Letter. Retrieved n.d., from .
Association of American Publishers
(n.d.). Coalition Letter. Retrieved n.d., from .
Attorney General of Texas
(n.d.). Letter of Support. Retrieved n.d., from .
Belo Corp.
(n.d.). Coalition Letter. Retrieved n.d., from .
Bloomberg News
(n.d.). Coalition Letter. Retrieved n.d., from .
CBS
(n.d.). Coalition Letter. Retrieved n.d., from .
Clear Channel
(n.d.). Coalition Letter. Retrieved n.d., from .
CNN
(n.d.). Coalition Letter. Retrieved n.d., from .
Coalition of Journalists for Open Government
(n.d.). Coalition Letter. Retrieved n.d., from .
Cox Enterprises, Inc.
(n.d.). Coalition Letter. Retrieved n.d., from .
Cox Newspapers
(n.d.). Coalition Letter. Retrieved n.d., from .
Disney
(n.d.). Coalition Letter. Retrieved n.d., from .
Gannett Co., Inc.
(n.d.). Coalition Letter. Retrieved n.d., from .
Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S., Inc.
(n.d.). Coalition Letter. Retrieved n.d., from .
Hearst Corporation
(n.d.). Coalition Letter. Retrieved n.d., from .
Magazine Publishers of America
(n.d.). Coalition Letter. Retrieved n.d., from .
McGraw-Hill Companies
(n.d.). Coalition Letter. Retrieved n.d., from .
Media Law Resource Center
(n.d.). Coalition Letter. Retrieved n.d., from .
National Association of Attorneys General
(n.d.). Letter of Support. Retrieved n.d., from .
National Association of Broadcasters
(n.d.). Coalition Letter. Retrieved n.d., from .
National Press Photographers Association
(n.d.). Senate Will Consider Shield Law In July; Journalists Urged To Support. Retrieved n.d., from .
NBC Universal
(n.d.). Coalition Letter. Retrieved n.d., from .
New York Times Company
(n.d.). Toward a federal shield law. Retrieved n.d., from .
Newspaper Association of America
(n.d.). First Amendment Issues. Retrieved n.d., from .
Radio-Television News Directors Association
(n.d.). Talking Points. Retrieved n.d., from .
Society of Professional Journalists
(n.d.). Federal Shield Law. Retrieved n.d., from .
Time Warner
(n.d.). Coalition Letter. Retrieved n.d., from .
Washington State Office of the Attorney General
(n.d.). Press Release. Retrieved n.d., from .

1 organization opposed this bill

United States Department of Justice
(n.d.). Letter of Opposition. Retrieved n.d., from .

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Includes reported contributions to congressional campaigns of Senators in office during the 110th U.S. Congress, from interest groups invested in the vote according to MapLight, January 1, 2003 – December 31, 2008.
Contributions data source: OpenSecrets.org

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Contributions by Legislator

Namesort iconPartyState$ From Interest Groups
That Supported		$ From Interest Groups
That Opposed
Daniel K. AkakaDHI$163,000$0
Andrew Lamar AlexanderRTN$552,249$0
Alan Wayne AllardRCO$6,000$0
John BarrassoRWY$82,657$0
Max BaucusDMT$748,751$0
Birch "Evan" BayhDIN$1,308,247$0
Bob BennettRUT$166,826$0
Joe BidenDDE$2,174,406$0
Jesse "Jeff" BingamanDNM$449,878$0
Christopher "Kit" BondRMO$523,335$0
Barbara BoxerDCA$1,971,819$0
Sherrod BrownDOH$1,410,822$0
Sam BrownbackRKS$136,026$0
Jim BunningRKY$246,049$0
Richard BurrRNC$612,611$0
Robert ByrdDWV$279,376$0
Maria CantwellDWA$1,463,663$0
Ben CardinDMD$1,036,764$0
Tom CarperDDE$415,671$0
Bob CaseyDPA$3,239,300$0
Clarence Saxby ChamblissRGA$834,296$0
Hillary ClintonDNY$5,468,602$0
Tom CoburnROK$119,690$0
William Thad CochranRMS$211,514$0
Norm ColemanRMN$951,651$0
Susan CollinsRME$542,447$0
Gaylord Kent ConradDND$530,903$0
Bob CorkerRTN$736,048$0
John CornynRTX$1,455,633$0
Larry CraigRID$42,500$0
Mike CrapoRID$159,237$0
Jim DeMintRSC$676,048$0
Chris DoddDCT$911,502$0
Mary Elizabeth DoleRNC$638,771$0
Pete DomeniciRNM$132,950$0
Byron DorganDND$462,516$0
Dick DurbinDIL$1,731,967$0
John EnsignRNV$434,683$0
Mike EnziRWY$63,551$0
Russ FeingoldDWI$768,523$0
Dianne FeinsteinDCA$776,964$0
Lindsey GrahamRSC$1,338,241$0
Chuck GrassleyRIA$371,068$0
Judd GreggRNH$165,187$0
Chuck HagelRNE$76,350$0
Tom HarkinDIA$645,057$0
Orrin HatchRUT$553,944$0
Kay Bailey HutchisonRTX$810,234$0
Jim InhofeROK$184,343$0
Dan InouyeDHI$333,744$0
Johnny IsaksonRGA$653,361$0
Tim JohnsonDSD$287,997$0
Ted KennedyDMA$1,134,948$0
John KerryDMA$449,465$0
Amy KlobucharDMN$1,024,765$0
Herb KohlDWI$0$0
Jon KylRAZ$861,543$0
Mary LandrieuDLA$1,338,418$0
Frank LautenbergDNJ$1,023,457$0
Patrick LeahyDVT$728,504$0
Carl LevinDMI$736,549$0
Joe LiebermanICT$1,290,256$0
Blanche LincolnDAR$457,545$0
Chester Trent LottRMS$243,647$0
Dick LugarRIN$386,440$0
Mel MartinezRFL$1,177,398$0
John McCainRAZ$233,275$0
Claire McCaskillDMO$1,544,824$0
Addison "Mitch" McConnellRKY$1,033,233$0
Bob MenéndezDNJ$2,119,999$0
Barbara MikulskiDMD$347,137$0
Lisa MurkowskiRAK$280,720$0
Patty MurrayDWA$806,940$0
Earl "Ben" NelsonDNE$557,585$0
Clarence "Bill" NelsonDFL$2,648,996$0
Barack ObamaDIL$2,379,933$0
Mark PryorDAR$743,496$0
John "Jack" ReedDRI$406,123$0
Harry ReidDNV$1,322,763$0
Charles "Pat" RobertsRKS$246,930$0
John "Jay" RockefellerDWV$857,024$0
Ken SalazarDCO$1,755,973$0
Bernie SandersIVT$133,429$0
Chuck SchumerDNY$1,315,368$0
Jeff SessionsRAL$452,839$0
Richard ShelbyRAL$761,274$0
Gordon SmithROR$625,003$0
Olympia SnoweRME$209,785$0
Arlen SpecterDPA$2,919,880$0
Debbie StabenowDMI$1,381,288$0
Ted StevensRAK$442,940$0
John SununuRNH$476,714$0
Jon TesterDMT$496,681$0
John ThuneRSD$557,347$0
David VitterRLA$600,071$0
George VoinovichROH$608,589$0
John WarnerRVA$0$0
Jim WebbDVA$647,602$0
Sheldon WhitehouseDRI$858,458$0
Ron WydenDOR$354,906$0

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NamePartyState$ From Interest Groups
That Supported		$ From Interest Groups
That Opposed
Daniel K. AkakaDHI$163,000$0
Andrew Lamar AlexanderRTN$552,249$0
Alan Wayne AllardRCO$6,000$0
John BarrassoRWY$82,657$0
Max BaucusDMT$748,751$0
Birch "Evan" BayhDIN$1,308,247$0
Bob BennettRUT$166,826$0
Joe BidenDDE$2,174,406$0
Jesse "Jeff" BingamanDNM$449,878$0
Christopher "Kit" BondRMO$523,335$0
Barbara BoxerDCA$1,971,819$0
Sherrod BrownDOH$1,410,822$0
Sam BrownbackRKS$136,026$0
Jim BunningRKY$246,049$0
Richard BurrRNC$612,611$0
Robert ByrdDWV$279,376$0
Maria CantwellDWA$1,463,663$0
Ben CardinDMD$1,036,764$0
Tom CarperDDE$415,671$0
Bob CaseyDPA$3,239,300$0
Clarence Saxby ChamblissRGA$834,296$0
Hillary ClintonDNY$5,468,602$0
Tom CoburnROK$119,690$0
William Thad CochranRMS$211,514$0
Norm ColemanRMN$951,651$0
Susan CollinsRME$542,447$0
Gaylord Kent ConradDND$530,903$0
Bob CorkerRTN$736,048$0
John CornynRTX$1,455,633$0
Larry CraigRID$42,500$0
Mike CrapoRID$159,237$0
Jim DeMintRSC$676,048$0
Chris DoddDCT$911,502$0
Mary Elizabeth DoleRNC$638,771$0
Pete DomeniciRNM$132,950$0
Byron DorganDND$462,516$0
Dick DurbinDIL$1,731,967$0
John EnsignRNV$434,683$0
Mike EnziRWY$63,551$0
Russ FeingoldDWI$768,523$0
Dianne FeinsteinDCA$776,964$0
Lindsey GrahamRSC$1,338,241$0
Chuck GrassleyRIA$371,068$0
Judd GreggRNH$165,187$0
Chuck HagelRNE$76,350$0
Tom HarkinDIA$645,057$0
Orrin HatchRUT$553,944$0
Kay Bailey HutchisonRTX$810,234$0
Jim InhofeROK$184,343$0
Dan InouyeDHI$333,744$0
Johnny IsaksonRGA$653,361$0
Tim JohnsonDSD$287,997$0
Ted KennedyDMA$1,134,948$0
John KerryDMA$449,465$0
Amy KlobucharDMN$1,024,765$0
Herb KohlDWI$0$0
Jon KylRAZ$861,543$0
Mary LandrieuDLA$1,338,418$0
Frank LautenbergDNJ$1,023,457$0
Patrick LeahyDVT$728,504$0
Carl LevinDMI$736,549$0
Joe LiebermanICT$1,290,256$0
Blanche LincolnDAR$457,545$0
Chester Trent LottRMS$243,647$0
Dick LugarRIN$386,440$0
Mel MartinezRFL$1,177,398$0
John McCainRAZ$233,275$0
Claire McCaskillDMO$1,544,824$0
Addison "Mitch" McConnellRKY$1,033,233$0
Bob MenéndezDNJ$2,119,999$0
Barbara MikulskiDMD$347,137$0
Lisa MurkowskiRAK$280,720$0
Patty MurrayDWA$806,940$0
Earl "Ben" NelsonDNE$557,585$0
Clarence "Bill" NelsonDFL$2,648,996$0
Barack ObamaDIL$2,379,933$0
Mark PryorDAR$743,496$0
John "Jack" ReedDRI$406,123$0
Harry ReidDNV$1,322,763$0
Charles "Pat" RobertsRKS$246,930$0
John "Jay" RockefellerDWV$857,024$0
Ken SalazarDCO$1,755,973$0
Bernie SandersIVT$133,429$0
Chuck SchumerDNY$1,315,368$0
Jeff SessionsRAL$452,839$0
Richard ShelbyRAL$761,274$0
Gordon SmithROR$625,003$0
Olympia SnoweRME$209,785$0
Arlen SpecterDPA$2,919,880$0
Debbie StabenowDMI$1,381,288$0
Ted StevensRAK$442,940$0
John SununuRNH$476,714$0
Jon TesterDMT$496,681$0
John ThuneRSD$557,347$0
David VitterRLA$600,071$0
George VoinovichROH$608,589$0
John WarnerRVA$0$0
Jim WebbDVA$647,602$0
Sheldon WhitehouseDRI$858,458$0
Ron WydenDOR$354,906$0

Interest Groups that supported this bill

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$ Donated
Attorneys & law firms$68,085,664
Book, newspaper & periodical publishing$3,872,786
Cable & satellite TV production & distribution$3,682,143
Commercial TV & radio stations$2,413,608
Entertainment Industry/Broadcast & Motion Pictures$2,056,290
TV production & distribution$926,541
Courts & Justice System$410,132

Interest Groups that opposed this bill

Uncheck All
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$ Donated
Courts & Justice System$410,132
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