WASHINGTON -- April 15 -- Representative Bernard Sanders (I-VT) today sharply criticized President Bush for supporting Congressional efforts to censor programming on cable and satellite. Sanders in the author of legislation that would ban government censorship of cable, satellite or the Internet. Sanders called Bush’s position a clear indication that “far right extremists” are moving to undermine Americans’ basic Constitutional rights.

Sanders said “It is a disgrace that the President of the United States, who has sworn to defend the U.S. Constitution, is now joining the chorus of far right extremists who want to censor cable, satellite and the Internet. Even Michael Powell, who recently stepped down as the Republican head of the FCC, concedes that government censorship in this area would be unconstitutional. There’s plenty of programming on cable and satellite that I have no interest in and I do what everyone should do who doesn’t like a particular program. Turn the channel. We don’t need government morality police censoring or banning shows like the Sopranos, the Daily Show, South Park or Dave Chappelle. Americans who don’t want Uncle Sam turning into Big Brother need to contact their Congressional representatives before it is too late.”

Sanders is the author of the Stamp Out Censorship Act (H.R. 1440), which would bar the government from applying the FCC’s vague “indecency” standard to programs on cable or satellite or material on the Internet.

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