HR 226 · 111th Congress 2009–2011, ended

Broadcaster Freedom Act of 2009

Introduced Jan 7, 2009 Originated House Sponsor Mike Pence R-IN

Fact sheet Spreadsheet

Latest action · Jan 14, 2009 Referred to the Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet.

Progress

Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.

  1. IntroducedJan 7, 2009
  2. Passed HouseNot reached
  3. Passed SenateNot reached
  4. To the PresidentNot reached
  5. Became lawNot reached

Summary

Broadcaster Freedom Act of 2009 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to prohibit the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), notwithstanding any other provision of any Act, from having the authority to require broadcasters to present opposing viewpoints on controversial issues of public importance, commonly referred to as the Fairness Doctrine.

Cosponsors 183

Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Jan 7, 2009 to Mar 26, 2009; 127 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.

SeatCosponsorSigned on
R-ILAaron SchockOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-FLAdam H. PutnamOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-NEAdrian SmithOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-FLAnder CrenshawOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-FLBill PoseyOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-PABill ShusterOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-VABob GoodlatteOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-SCBob InglisOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-KYBrett GuthrieOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-CABrian P. BilbrayOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-MICandice S. MillerOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-WACathy McMorris RodgersOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-LACharles W. Boustany, Jr.OriginalJan 7, 2009
R-NJChristopher H. SmithOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-FLCliff StearnsOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-FLConnie MackOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-WYCynthia M. LummisOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-INDan BurtonOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-CADana RohrabacherOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-CADaniel E. LungrenOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-MIDave CampOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-CADavid DreierOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-WADavid G. ReichertOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-NVDean HellerOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-MTDenny RehbergOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-WADoc HastingsOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-ILDonald A. ManzulloOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-CODoug LambornOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-CADuncan HunterOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-CAEdward R. RoyceOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-CAElton GalleglyOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-VAEric CantorOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-WIF. James Sensenbrenner, Jr.OriginalJan 7, 2009
R-NJFrank A. LoBiondoOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-OKFrank D. LucasOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-VAFrank R. WolfOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-MIFred UptonOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-KYGeoff DavisOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-FLGinny Brown-WaiteOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-ORGreg WaldenOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-FLGus M. BilirakisOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-NCHoward CobleOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-CAHoward P. "Buck" McKeonOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-VAJ. Randy ForbesOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-GAJack KingstonOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-UTJason ChaffetzOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-OHJean SchmidtOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-TXJeb HensarlingOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-AZJeff FlakeOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-FLJeff MillerOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-CAJerry LewisOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-KSJerry MoranOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-PAJim GerlachOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-OHJim JordanOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-ALJo BonnerOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-TXJoe BartonOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-SCJoe WilsonOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-OHJohn A. BoehnerOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-TXJohn Abney CulbersonOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-AZJohn B. ShadeggOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-ARJohn BoozmanOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-CAJohn CampbellOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-MNJohn KlineOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-FLJohn L. MicaOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-GAJohn LinderOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-NYJohn M. McHughOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-TXJohn R. CarterOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-ILJohn ShimkusOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-OKJohn SullivanOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-PAJoseph R. PittsOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-TXK. Michael ConawayOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-TXKay GrangerOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-CAKen CalvertOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-TXKenny MarchantOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-TXKevin BradyOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-CAKevin McCarthyOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-TXLamar SmithOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-NELee TerryOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-FLLincoln Diaz-BalartOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-TXLouie GohmertOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-GALynn A. WestmorelandOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-FLMario Diaz-BalartOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-INMark E. SouderOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-ILMark KirkOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-TNMarsha BlackburnOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-CAMary BonoOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-OKMary FallinOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-TXMichael C. BurgessOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-IDMichael K. SimpsonOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-TXMichael T. McCaulOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-GANathan DealOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-OHPatrick J. TiberiOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-NCPatrick T. McHenryOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-GAPaul C. BrounOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-TXPete SessionsOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-MIPeter HoekstraOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-GAPhil GingreyOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-TXRalph M. HallOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-UTRob BishopOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-ALRobert B. AderholtOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-OHRobert E. LattaOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-LARodney AlexanderOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-TXRon PaulOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-MDRoscoe G. BartlettOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-MORoy BluntOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-MOSam GravesOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-TXSam JohnsonOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-NJScott GarrettOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-ALSpencer BachusOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-OHSteve AustriaOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-LASteve ScaliseOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-MIThaddeus G. McCotterOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-WIThomas E. PetriOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-PATim MurphyOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-ILTimothy V. JohnsonOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-PATodd Russell PlattsOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-KSTodd TiahrtOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-OKTom ColeOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-CATom McClintockOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-GATom PriceOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-AZTrent FranksOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-FLVern BuchananOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-NCVirginia FoxxOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-MOW. Todd AkinOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-CAWally HergerOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-NCWalter B. JonesOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-TNZach WampOriginalJan 7, 2009
R-PACharles W. DentJan 8, 2009
R-CAGeorge RadanovichJan 8, 2009
D-PAJason AltmireJan 8, 2009
R-MOJo Ann EmersonJan 8, 2009
D-NCMike McIntyreJan 8, 2009
R-MIMike RogersJan 8, 2009
R-ILPeter J. RoskamJan 8, 2009
R-NJRodney P. FrelinghuysenJan 8, 2009
R-WVShelley Moore CapitoJan 8, 2009
R-NCSue Wilkins MyrickJan 8, 2009
R-TXTed PoeJan 8, 2009
R-MIVernon J. EhlersJan 8, 2009
R-FLC. W. Bill YoungJan 13, 2009
R-PAGlenn ThompsonJan 13, 2009
R-SCHenry E. Brown, Jr.Jan 13, 2009
R-SCJ. Gresham BarrettJan 13, 2009
R-TNJohn J. Duncan, Jr.Jan 13, 2009
R-ILJudy BiggertJan 13, 2009
R-OHMichael R. TurnerJan 13, 2009
R-MNMichele BachmannJan 13, 2009
R-IATom LathamJan 13, 2009
R-NYChristopher J. LeeJan 14, 2009
R-CADarrell IssaJan 14, 2009
R-NEJeff FortenberryJan 14, 2009
R-LAJohn FlemingJan 14, 2009
R-TXMac ThornberryJan 14, 2009
R-ALMike RogersJan 14, 2009
R-WIPaul D. RyanJan 14, 2009
R-TXRandy NeugebauerJan 14, 2009
R-INSteve BuyerJan 14, 2009
R-FLThomas J. RooneyJan 14, 2009
R-TNDavid P. RoeJan 15, 2009
D-KYJohn A. YarmuthJan 15, 2009
R-KSLynn JenkinsJan 15, 2009
R-CAGary G. MillerJan 23, 2009
R-VARobert J. WittmanJan 23, 2009
R-KYEd WhitfieldJan 26, 2009
R-CADevin NunesJan 28, 2009
R-AKDon YoungJan 28, 2009
R-KYHarold RogersJan 28, 2009
R-DEMichael N. CastleJan 28, 2009
R-TXPete OlsonJan 28, 2009
R-IASteve KingJan 28, 2009
R-LABill CassidyFeb 2, 2009
R-MSGregg HarperFeb 2, 2009
R-FLIleana Ros-LehtinenFeb 2, 2009
R-NJLeonard LanceFeb 10, 2009
R-COMike CoffmanFeb 10, 2009
R-NYPeter T. KingFeb 13, 2009
R-OHSteven C. LaTouretteFeb 13, 2009
R-LAAnh "Joseph" CaoMar 5, 2009
R-MOBlaine LuetkemeyerMar 5, 2009
R-MNErik PaulsenMar 5, 2009
D-COJared PolisMar 5, 2009
D-NYMichael A. ArcuriMar 11, 2009
D-TNLincoln DavisMar 26, 2009

Withdrew 1 Mike Thompson D-CA Jan 13, 2009

Committees 1

Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.

ChamberCommitteeWhat it did
HouseEnergy and Commerce Committee
Referred Jan 7, 2009
Communications and Technology Subcommittee
Referred Jan 14, 2009

Actions 3

Everything that happened, newest first.

  1. Jan 14, 2009Referred to the Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet.
  2. Jan 7, 2009Introduced in House
  3. Jan 7, 2009Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

In the Congressional Record 1

Days the Record’s own index lists this bill, newest first, with the pages and the members it names. Pages starting H are the House, S the Senate, E Extensions of Remarks.

WhereIn the RecordMembersDate
HouseDebate and remarks H2864Dan Burton R-INFeb 26, 2009

Related bills 2

Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.

BillTitleRelationshipLatest action
S 34Broadcaster Freedom Act of 2009Identical billJan 7, 2009
S 62Broadcaster Freedom Act of 2009Identical billJan 6, 2009

Titles 2

Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.

Official Title as Introduced
To prevent the Federal Communications Commission from repromulgating the fairness doctrine.
Short Titles as Introduced
Broadcaster Freedom Act of 2009

Subjects

Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications.

Text 1

Each version as it was printed, newest first.

  1. Jan 7, 2009Introduced in House

Support LegiList

This page is free, carries no paywall, and is built and maintained by one person. If the record here is useful to you, a few dollars keeps it going.

$1 $5 $10

Processed by Stripe in a separate window. LegiList never sees card details.

Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.