John Culberson: “I urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment. It is drafted far too broadly. And I would point out that in a grand jury…”

“I urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment. It is drafted far too broadly. And I would point out that in a grand jury proceeding--those that occur in the District of Columbia, for example, are done under the auspices of the Department of Justice, and that is a Federal grand jury proceeding. A journalist would not have the privilege of protecting the confidentiality of his sources because in a grand jury everything that is discussed is absolutely confidential. I also, frankly, think it is astonishing that under Mr. Grayson's amendment a journalist has the ability to self-certify what is confidential and what is not. I certainly agree with the principle of a strong and free press, but Mr. Grayson's amendment is written far too broadly and, frankly, would not provide protection to a journalist in a grand jury setting. I think he has neglected that problem. I yield to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte), the chair of the Judiciary Committee, to also speak in opposition to this amendment.”