WASHINGTON — Senate staff has started barring reporters from recording video or audio interviews in the halls of the Capitol without permission, reversing decades of common practice.

American Civil Liberties Union Political Director Faiz Shakir had this statement:

“Preventing the press from informing the public about the workings of their own government goes against the core values of our democracy. For decades, the Capitol building has been open for recorded interviews, which provide a critical window into the legislative process.

“Closing the shutters now, while Congress is secretly considering a bill that would cause over 20 million people to lose health insurance, is utterly unreasonable and flies in the face of the First Amendment.”