The controversial Journalism Competition and Preservation Act (JCPA) in the National Defense Authorization Act raised concerns that the bill would be derailed (NDAA). Several powerful interest groups, including the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), lobbied heavily against the JCPA out of concern that it would politicize the authorization of funding for the nation’s armed forces.
The NAB emerged from the shadows and mobilized its vast grassroots network to exert pressure on conservative MPs who were against the JCPA. A former senior lawyer for influential Democrats, including Senator Patrick Leahy, NAB President, and CEO Curtis LeGeyt, is a socialist (D-VT). As a last-ditch effort to change lawmakers’ minds, the NAB is encouraging local stations to call congressional offices and urge that politicians remove their objections.
Despite conservative members of Congress’ best attempts to highlight national security by reauthorizing funds for America’s servicemembers, the NAB has kept up its lobbying efforts against them.
A top Republican Senate staffer claims that the NAB pressured the senator’s office to vote against the JCPA.
A key House Republican has acknowledged the NAB contacted them by phone about the JCPA.
Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton and other conservatives have claimed the JCPA has nothing to do with military preparedness.
Minnesota Democrat Amy Klobuchar, the JCPA’s chief proponent, made an impassioned plea for the measure, calling the media consolidation law “national security.” After lawmakers rejected incorporating the JCPA, despite its crucial relevance to national security, she returned to her old talking points the next day.
The NAB has been accused of being too focused on monetary gain before. They’ve been ripping from American musicians for years, and now they want taxpayer dollars to fund their media industry.
To appease their journalistic allies, Democrats tacked on the JCPA, which North Carolina Republican Sen. Thom Tillis has called a “bailout for corporate media.” This, naturally, compromised American safety.
Politico reports that in the last two days, prominent Republicans, including former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Donald Trump Jr., have come out against linking national security to what is corporate welfare for media corporations.
Pompeo has claimed that the JCPA will benefit China by facilitating the spread of pro-Chinese propaganda, and he has cited a piece from Breitbart News as evidence.
It’s terrible enough, Pompeo continued, that authority is being given to a media cartel. Our adversaries will benefit from a “China loophole” in the JCPA. Any Republican who cares about their party’s future should be fighting against the inclusion of this horrible provision in the National Defense Authorization Act.
On Monday, Trump Jr. attacked Republican lawmakers who would join Democrats in passing the JCPA, saying they were driven by a desire to “destroy alternative media.”
Those in the know claim that Tillis opposed the bill alongside Senators Cotton, Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Mike Lee (R-UT), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Steve Daines (R-MT), Josh Hawley (R-MO), and John Cornyn (R-TX) to stop Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell from “outlining” the legislation (R-KY).
Even though it is irrelevant to national security matters, broadcasters have campaigned to have the media cartel clause incorporated into the JCPA. Now that the JCPA is no longer included in the NDAA, lobbying groups like the News Media Alliance and the National Association of Broadcasters may attempt to get it included in a new spending bill. But it appears that lobbying groups are running out of time to take advantage of the JCPA.