Many years ago, knowing us as regular C-SPAN watchers, we were asked by a friend what the acronym stood for and we guessed “Congress-span”? Nope. It’s the Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network, created to put sessions of Congress on TV.
C-SPAN’s debut was a March 19, 1979 floor speech about the big change TV was bringing by Rep. Al Gore, before he was a senator, vice president and almost president. Soon enough, a freshman Republican from Georgia, Newt Gingrich, saw he could reach millions and regularly used late night sessions to give diatribes blasting Democrats. By 1984, Speaker Tip O’Neill had enough and ordered the cameras to occasionally pan the chamber to show that Gingrich was lecturing an empty room.
Advertisement
Reps. Paul Gosar and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez talk on the House floor on Jan. 3, 2023 (C-SPAN)
Both Speaker Tip and future Speaker Newt were right. The public has the right to see and hear what their representatives are doing and saying. But the cameras shouldn’t be controlled by politicians.
America had a taste of a free C-SPAN while the House was in deadlock during the weeklong speaker’s election. Unfettered cameras showed right-wing hothead Paul Gosar schmoozing with left-wing diva AOC (even though he had once tweeted a perceived death threat against her). And there was fraudster George Santos with Marjorie Taylor Greene. No need for her to fret about Rothschild space lasers since Santos isn’t a Jew, he’s only Jew-ish.
Advertisement
And when the hour was late and tempers rose Friday night, viewers (us including) saw Mike Rogers lunging at rebel Matt Gaetz.
When Kevin McCarthy did finally prevail and mounted the rostrum, he said this halfway into his speech that began at 1:14 a.m.: “My friends, this chamber is now fully open for all Americans to visit. I want to give all Americans a personal invitation. You are welcome to see this body at work. No longer will the doors be closed, but the debates will be open for you to witness what happens in the people’s house.”
So instead of putting back the blinders, we fully agree with Gaetz (probably for the first time ever) that C-SPAN should remain unrestrained. Let America see it all.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Live and in color: Matt Gaetz is right that C-SPAN must be allowed full freedom to show everything Congress does
