The potential inclusion of the controversial media bailout known as the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act (JCPA) threatened to upend the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Powerful special interest groups, such as the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), lobbied for the JCPA’s inclusion in the bill despite the prospect of politicizing the funding authorization for the nation’s troops.
The NAB came out of the shadows and activated its extensive grassroots network to harass conservative members of Congress blocking the JCPA. NAB is led by leftist president and CEO Curtis LeGeyt, a former Senior Counsel to the powerful Democrat Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT). The NAB is pushing local broadcasters to call congressional offices demanding that lawmakers drop their opposition in a desperate lobbying barrage.
The NAB has continued its lobbying blitz against conservative members of Congress at a time that the legislative body is trying to prioritize national security by reauthorizing funding for America’s servicemembers.
A senior Senate GOP aide confirmed that the NAB has lobbied the senator’s office regarding the JCPA.
A senior House GOP aide confirmed that the National Association of Broadcasters called the lawmaker regarding the JCPA.
As Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) and other conservatives have noted, the JCPA has nothing to do with national defense.
In a moment of desperation, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), the lead schemer behind the JCPA, claimed that the media cartel bill is vital for “national security.” One day after lawmakers decided not to include the JCPA, she returned to her old talking points, without discussing how the bill is vital to national security.
This would not be the first time the NAB has been accused of being greedy. As these broadcasters emerge from the shadows to demand a media bailout, they have for years refused to pay American artists for using their song recordings on air.
Democrats, desperate to secure a goodie bag for their cronies in the media, chose to play games with American national security by attaching the JCPA, which, according to Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), has been described as a bailout for “big media.”
Over the last 48 hours, top Republicans including former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Donald Trump Jr., have spoken out against the attempt to tie national security to what is essentially corporate welfare for media conglomerates.
Citing a Breitbart News article, Pompeo also highlighted how the JCPA will indirectly help China, by amplifying the same news outlets that accept Chinese money to influence the American public.
“Giving the media cartel power is bad enough,” said Pompeo “The JCPA’s “China loophole” means this will benefit our adversaries. All Republicans should oppose cramming this bad bill in the NDAA.”
Trump Jr. on Monday questioned why some Republicans would work with Democrats to “destroy alternative media” by passing the JCPA.
Sen. Tillis joined Sens. 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), all of whom have either spoken out publicly against the bill or who, according to sources familiar with the matter, are blocking the bill from being “hotlined” by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).
Broadcasters have lobbied to have the media cartel bill included in the bill even though the JCPA does not focus on national security. Now that the JCPA is not in the NDAA, special interest groups, such as the News Media Alliance and the National Association of Broadcasters, could decide to put it in an omnibus spending bill. However, it appears that special interest groups’ window for moving on the JCPA is narrowing rapidly.
Sean Moran is a policy reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter @SeanMoran3.
