Amid Pentagon Censorship Campaign, Senators Shaheen and Blumenthal Introduce Bill to Preserve Stars and Stripes Editorial Independence

**Senators’ new bill comes as the Pentagon doubles down on new policies that tighten control over the military publication** (Washington, DC) – U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), senior members of the Senate Armed Services Committee , are today introducing new legislation that preserves the independence of Stars and Stripes , which has been subjected to repeated attacks from the Pentagon amid efforts to restrict freedom of the press. The legislation led by Shaheen, Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Blumenthal, Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, clarifies Stars and Stripes’ editorial operations are independent of the military chain of command, military public affairs activities or other external influences and prohibit withholding of information unfavorable to the Department of Defense—standards that have governed the paper since the Civil War. “For more than a century and a half, Stars and Stripes has told the story of our nation’s military with accuracy and integrity,” said Senator Shaheen. “Our legislation makes clear that Stars and Stripes ’ independence is not negotiable—nor can it be intimidated into only reporting stories that Secretary Hegseth approves of.” “Stars and Stripes must be free from political influence and interference. Servicemembers, veterans, and their families across the globe have relied on this newspaper to provide honest, credible reporting on the issues facing them without ideological or political narratives for more than a century. The Administration’s assault on Stars and Stripes constitutes unacceptable censorship, and our legislation will protect the newspaper’s editorial independence now and forever,” said Senator Blumenthal. Click HERE to view legislative text. In March, the Pentagon accused Stars and Stripes of focusing on “woke distractions” and announced it would expand oversight, including imposing new restrictions on content, of the independent publication. Last month, Stars and Stripes ombudsman Jacqueline Smith—a non-partial watchdog charged with monitoring the paper’s independence— was fired . In a Stars and Stripes column , Smith alleged that the Pentagon was trying to silence her. Shaheen and Blumenthal’s bill comes as the Pentagon attempts to restrict press access writ large. ###