July 6, 2023
In a move that is widely interpreted as an effort to bar independent media from access to the White House, the White House Press Office recently updated the requirements reporters must fulfill in order to obtain or renew a long-term press pass (known as a “hard pass”). All current hard passes will now expire on July 31 of this year. In order to renew their passes, each reporter’s bureau chief or supervisor must submit a letter to the Press Office, written on official stationery, showing that the reporter meets the following requirements:
- Full-time employment with an organization whose principal business is news dissemination (If you are freelance, we will need letters from two news organizations describing your affiliation, or, if you freelance primarily for one organization, a letter from that organization describing the extent and duration of your relationship with the organization);
- Physical address (either residential or professional) in the greater Washington, D.C. area;
- Have accessed the White House campus at least once during the prior six months for work, or have proof of employment within the last three months to cover the White House;
- Assignment to cover (or provide technical support in covering) the White House on a regular basis;
- Accreditation by a press gallery in either the Supreme Court, U.S. Senate or U.S. House of Representatives; and
- Willingness to submit to any necessary investigation by the U.S. Secret Service to determine eligibility for access to the White House complex, where Secret Service will determine eligibility based on whether the applicant presents a potential risk to the safety or security of the President, the Vice President, or the White House complex.
An image of each reporter’s Supreme Court or Congressional press credential must also be submitted.
Dr. Anthony Harper is the White House correspondent for InterMountain Christian News, a nonprofit Boise-based news outlet that aims to be “a conservative weekly non denominational evangelistic newspaper in newsprint, DVD format and via our web site with distribution at as many secular locations in our Intermountain region where secular newspapers are distributed.” Dr. Harper reports regularly from Washington on pro-life, pro-family, and pro-Israel topics. He also attempts, through questions asked during White House press conferences, to focus White House attention on these issues.
In a recent email, Dr. Harper shared that his hard pass has been denied under the new regulations. After submitting the required paperwork to obtain the prerequisite Congressional credential, Harper was informed via an email from House Periodical Press Gallery Director Robert Zatkowski that “InterMountain Christian News does not meet the requirements of Rule One and Two of the Congressional Rules governing the Gallery.” When Harper asked for clarification, he received the following response:
“Because your organization is funded by a private institution you could use your press credential to lobby members of Congress on behalf of your organization.
From Rule 1 – They shall state in writing the names of their employers and their additional sources of earned income; and they shall declare that, while a member of the Galleries, they will not act as an agent in the prosecution of claims, and will not become engaged or assist, directly or indirectly, in any lobbying, promotion, advertising, or publicity activity intended to influence legislation or any other action of the Congress, nor any matter before any independent agency, or any department or other instrumentality of the Executive branch;
Your organization does not operate independently of a institution an[d] is not primarily funded though ads and subscriptions
From Rule 2 – The periodical must require such Washington coverage on a continuing basis and must be owned and operated independently of any government, industry, institution, association, or lobbying organization. Applicants must also be employed by a periodical that is published for profit and is supported chiefly by advertising or by subscription, or by a periodical meeting the conditions in this paragraph but published by a nonprofit organization that, first , operates independently of any government, industry, or institution and, second, does not engage, directly or indirectly, in any lobbying or other activity intended to influence any matter before Congress or before any independent agency or any department or other instrumentality of the Executive branch. House organs are not eligible.”
A review of the InterMountain Christian News’ “About Us” tab reveals that while the news site does depend partly on private donations, it also receives income from both ads and subscribers (known as sponsors). Further, Dr. Harper states that “there is no institution that funds InterMountain Christian News.”
Dr. Harper calls the new regulations “discriminatory” and “unfair,” explaining via email, “The White House press office requires [me] to hold a press pass with the Congress and/or Supreme Court as a condition to renewing my White House press pass. The Congressional and Supreme Court press office has told [me] that because [my] news organization is funded by donations, [I] cannot qualify for their press pass. [My] news beat in Washington, D.C. is the White House and this other press pass requirement is a road block and an unfair requirement as a condition to renew [my] White House press pass.”
