# 119-sres-424: A resolution affirming the unwavering commitment of the Senate to the First Amendment and to freedom of speech and of the press as foundations of the democratic republic of the United States.

119-sres-424, A resolution affirming the unwavering commitment of the Senate to the First Amendment and to freedom of speech and of the press as foundations of the democratic republic of the United States., is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] (D-OR); status introduced (as of 2026-08-11).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-sres-424
- As of: 2026-08-11
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-sres-424
- Congress: 119
- Title: A resolution affirming the unwavering commitment of the Senate to the First Amendment and to freedom of speech and of the press as foundations of the democratic republic of the United States.
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-09-30
- Sponsor: Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] (D-OR)
- Cosponsors: 6
- Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2026-08-11

## Summary

**Protecting free speech and media independence from government punishment.** This resolution would reaffirm the First Amendment as a foundational principle and press the President and federal agencies to refuse using licensing or regulation to punish viewpoints or editorial choices. - Media organizations: Declares that licensing, regulatory authority, or other governmental powers must not be used to threaten, revoke, suspend, or penalize licenses solely for editorial content or viewpoints. - Federal agencies and the FCC: Urges agency leaders to affirm they will not use licensing or regulations as tools of repression and cites the Communications Act prohibition on FCC censorship. - The President and other leaders: Calls on the President to commit publicly to protecting free speech consistent with the Constitution. - Individuals exercising speech: Rebukes political violence directed at people for exercising their protected free speech rights.

## Cosponsors (6)

- Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD] (D-MD), 2025-09-30T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA] (D-CA), 2025-09-30T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT] (I-VT), 2025-09-30T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ] (D-NJ), 2025-09-30T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA] (D-MA), 2025-09-30T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Padilla, Alex [D-CA] (D-CA), 2025-10-03T00:00:00.000Z

## Related bills

- 119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026
- 119-s-5283: Momnibus Act
- 119-s-3990: PrEP Access and Coverage Act of 2026
- 119-s-2823: FAMILY Act
- 119-s-2231: GLOBE Act of 2025
- 119-s-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act

## Sources
- [119-sres-424 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-resolution/424)

## Related
- [119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5066)
- [119-s-5283: Momnibus Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5283)
- [119-s-3990: PrEP Access and Coverage Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3990)
- [119-s-2823: FAMILY Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2823)
- [119-s-2231: GLOBE Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2231)
- [119-s-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-51)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-sres-424 (as of 2026-08-11).