On Capitol Hill, the reporters run free. GOP senators are fine with it

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Today's Top Stories - September 23, 2026

Today's Top Stories - September 23, 2026

President Trump has barred news outlets from the White House, and a prominent GOP congresswoman is making noise about restricting press access to parts of the Capitol.

But Republicans in the Senate, where reporters have more direct access to lawmakers than anywhere in Washington, say they’re content with the status quo. 

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said the “courts will decide” the rightness of Trump’s move, but banning certain outlets is “not my policy.” 

In fact, Congress allows reporters broad and generally indiscriminate access to speak directly with members of both chambers every day.

The general public can freely access the hallways of the office buildings in the House and Senate, and reporters — who are credentialed by the nonpartisan press galleries — are allowed almost everywhere that staff are throughout the Capitol, including most underground trains, tunnels and staircases that members use to get around. 

And while there have historically been efforts to restrict or change access to the Capitol, Republican lawmakers who spoke to The Hill generally maintained that they’re........

© The Hill