1. United States
2. Mo.
3. Letter

I am writing to you today regarding the alarming and unacceptable restrictions recently placed on the press by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the Department of Defense. The new requirements—which demand that reporters confine their coverage to specific, approved statements and information, and which threaten to revoke credentials for reporting outside of these narrow official guidelines—fundamentally convert independent journalists into a public relations arm for the Pentagon. This is not journalism; it is government-controlled propaganda. The entire purpose of a free press is to serve as a check on power and provide the American public with transparent, unvarnished information about how their government operates and how their tax dollars are spent, especially concerning our military and national security. By essentially requiring reporters to sign a pledge not to pursue unauthorized information, even if unclassified, the Department of Defense is attempting to prevent the scrutiny necessary for a functioning democracy. This action represents a serious and deliberate attack on the First Amendment and runs directly counter to any claim of transparency by the administration. The press cannot fulfill its constitutional role when it is restricted to publishing only the facts the government wishes to approve. I urge you to use your oversight authority to immediately challenge and reverse these restrictive, anti-democratic policies that undermine the integrity of our military reporting and the public's right to know.