C!rnngress nf tqe iitniteh ~tates 
l.ila.s!Jingtnn. iDQI 20515 
The Honorable Ajit V. Pai 
Chairman 
Federal Communications Commission 
445 12th Street, S.W. 
Washington, D.C. 20554 
Dear Chairman Pai: 
October 16, 201 7 
The President recently raised the stakes on his continuing attacks against the free and 
independent press when he questioned whether NBC station licenses should be renewed - or 
revoked - based on his disagreement with the reports released by NBC News. We find this 
escalation very troubling in that it could have a chilling effect on First Amendment freedoms. 
The Protecting Dissenting Viewpoints and Voices Act specifically prohibits the FCC from 
retaliating against stations based on the viewpoints expressed or disseminated by the licensee, 
and prohibits the President from directing the Commission to take action against licensees on the 
same basis. We would encourage you to publicly support this bill and the position it stakes out. 
It is a sad state of affairs that such a bill would have to be introduced in the first place, 
but it is the situation that we find ourselves in today. In the absence of Congressional action on 
this bill, we ask you to specifically commit that you will promptly inform our offices if anyone in 
the Administration contacts you or a member of your staff regarding the license renewals for any 
broadcast station. We also ask for you to confirm your commitment that you will remain 
independent from any pressure by the President or his administration to influence the 
Commission's review of any broadcast license renewal or broadcast license transfer 
application. We hope that you stand by your prior comments that "these demands are 
fundamentally at odds with our legal and cultural traditions." 
We appreciate your prompt reply to our requests by October 24. 
Ben Ray Lujan 
Member of Congress 
Sincerely, 
Frank Pallone, Jr. 
Member of Congress 
PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER 
Michael Doyle 
Member ofCongre s 
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Bobby L. Rush 
Member of Congress 
Paul D. Tonko 
Member of Congress 
Member of Congress 
Doris 0 . Matsui 
Member of Congress 
McNemey 
Member of Congress