Time for the Shield

[Commentary] A proposal to protect reporters from having to reveal confidential sources passed the House of Representatives by an overwhelming margin last year. A similar measure was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee, 15 to 4. The presumptive Republican and Democratic presidential nominees support it. So do the attorneys general of 42 states, who urged the Senate last month to act on the measure. Although 49 states and the District recognize a reporter's privilege, the absence of a federal statute undermines those protections. It is time for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) to bring this bill to the floor.