Whereas the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States enshrines press freedom as a foundational element of the democracy of the United States when it declares, Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press ; Whereas Thomas Jefferson famously and wisely wrote in 1787, were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter , underscoring the enduring importance of independent and professional journalism as a check on government authority in every society; Whereas Article 19 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted December 10, 1948, by the United Nations General Assembly, enshrines press freedom as a vital aspect of universal human rights; Whereas the use of threatening rhetoric by President Donald J. Trump, including false declarations that the media are the enemy of the American people , and the repeated disparagements of specific journalists and outlets by President Trump have undermined public trust in fact-based journalism; Whereas, on November 7, 2018, in the first press conference by President Trump after the 2018 elections, President Trump accused Yamiche Alcindor of PBS Newshour of asking a racist question when Yamiche Alcindor asked about the support that the President receives from white nationalists; Whereas the White House has withdrawn the press credentials of CNN White House reporter Jim Acosta in clear retaliation for questioning of the President by Jim Acosta; Whereas White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders falsely claimed, and distributed a doctored video purporting to show, that Jim Acosta placed his hands on a young woman as the basis for the withdrawal of press credentials from Jim Acosta; Whereas, on November 9, 2018, President Trump threatened to revoke the press credentials of other journalists as well