Protecting Pentagon Press Access Act

Key Points

• The bill would force the Department of Defense to give journalists the same level of access to the Pentagon they had before May 2025. This includes letting reporters walk through certain areas without a military escort and reopening the dedicated press workspace known as the Correspondents Corridor.
• It aims to cancel two specific orders issued by Hegseth in 2025. Those orders moved reporters to a separate building outside the Pentagon, labeled press offices as restricted areas, and banned journalists from asking for information the department did not officially approve.
• The plan would put career security officials in charge of checking reporter press passes instead of political appointees. This is meant to make sure passes are handed out fairly and not used as a way to punish reporters who write stories the department does not like.
• If passed, the Secretary of Defense would have to talk to House and Senate committees before making any future changes to how the media can access the building. Supporters say this will help the public and Congress keep a closer eye on how the military spends tax dollars.

Impact Analysis

Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.