As democrats and republicans battle over what to do about gas prices, a bill to protect journalists from revealing their sources stalled in the Senate on Wednesday.
According to the AP, republicans blocked the measure, arguing the Senate had to focus on an energy bill while democrats wanted to put aside the energy measure to debate and pass the media bill.
The vote was 51-43 vote, 9 short of the 60 it needed to move forward over the GOP objections.
The Bush administration and many congressional republicans are opposed to the media shield, on the grounds that it could damage national security by not allowing prosecutors to track leaks.
Proponents argue that without confidentiality, many important stories would not have come to light. Sen. Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., said the measure “protects both the freedom of the press and the security of our citizens. In a free and democratic country, we should be able to do both.”
