As the nation prepares to remember the Capital Gazette shooting one year ago, there’s a move in Congress to memorialize journalists’ lives lost while reporting the news.
Bills have been introduced in the House and Senate to allow a permanent memorial in D.C. dedicated to fallen journalists.
“This is in no way a political statement. We want bipartisan support — Democrats and Republicans coming together to recognize something that is so vital,” said David Dreier, chairman of Tribune Publishing Company and chair of the Fallen Journalists Memorial Foundation.
The legislation would authorize the memorial on federal land in D.C. Supporters say private funds would be used to build it.
Recalling the horrific attack at the Capital Gazette in Annapolis, Democratic Maryland Sen. Ben Cardin is co-sponsor of the bill.
“We will never forget the five [people] who died on that day and what they did,” Cardin said. “This memorial will give us a chance to redouble our efforts to understand how important freedom of press is to our democratic system and around the world,” he said.
Supporters say if the bill passes, if could take seven years or more to see the project through to completion.
