Whereas freedom of the press is essential for a functioning democracy, which is why Congress grants unparalleled access on Capitol Hill to journalists who are credentialed members of the Congressional Media Galleries; Whereas there is broad bipartisan agreement, however, that media outlets owned or controlled by foreign state actors cannot be afforded the same privileges as traditional media; Whereas, while the extraordinary access inside Capitol Hill granted to credentialed members of the media helps facilitate accurate reporting to the American public, it is also the kind of access coveted by foreign powers seeking sensitive information from inside Congress, and those with State-sponsored media outlets currently can easily obtain such access, even if they openly flout United States laws; Whereas, in order to effectively safeguard the national security interests of the United States, foreign State-sponsored media outlets must be required to strictly comply with the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938 (FARA) and other United States laws as a prerequisite for their journalists to receive credentials in the Congressional Media Galleries; Whereas several foreign countries with reported histories of spying on Americans, such as Russia, Qatar, and China, own and control State-sponsored media outlets whose journalists in recent years have been credentialed by the House and Senate Media Galleries; Whereas over the past decade, the People’s Republic of China, Russia, and the State of Qatar have aggressively deployed their espionage forces against United States Government agencies and government officials, as well as targeting thousands of United States businesses and Americans perceived to be opponents or dissidents of their regimes