1. United States
2. Iowa
3. Letter

I am very upset about what the White House is doing to reporters. First, they stopped an Associated Press (AP) reporter from going to an event just because AP wouldn’t call the Gulf of Mexico the “Gulf of America.” Now, they are deciding which reporters can even be in the room at all. This is not fair, and it goes against the First Amendment, which protects the press from government control. This isn’t the first time this has happened. Some reporters have been kicked out of press meetings just for asking tough questions. Others have had their press passes taken away after writing things the government didn’t like. Some have even been blocked from entering the U.S. because they report on important issues. This is not how a free country should work. The press is supposed to ask hard questions and tell people the truth, not just repeat what the government wants them to say. Congress has the power to stop this. The First Amendment is part of the U.S. Constitution, which means it’s the it’s the law. No president or government leader gets to decide which reporters can do their jobs. Congress can investigate what’s happening, call witnesses to explain why reporters are being blocked, and even make new laws to make sure this never happens again. If the government is caught breaking these rules, Congress can cut their funding or take other serious actions to hold them accountable. I expect you to do something about this right away: 1. Speak out and tell everyone that what the White House is doing is wrong. 2. Start an investigation to find out who is making these decisions and why. 3. Create stronger rules to make sure no president—now or in the future—can control the press like this. Congress is supposed to make sure the president follows the rules, not just sit back and watch. If you do nothing, you are letting the government take away press freedom. The American people deserve real news, not just what the government wants us to hear.