Senate Republicans quickly backed off a plan on Tuesday to restrict reporters’ ability to conduct and film interviews in the chamber’s hallways after the new guidelines ignited a firestorm of criticism.

Sen. Richard Shelby, chairman of the Senate Rules Committee, put out a statement saying nothing had changed “governing press coverage coverage on the Senate side of the Capitol complex​.”

“​The Committee has been working with the various galleries to ensure compliance with existing rules in an effort to help provide a safe environment for Members of Congress, the press corps, staff and constituents as they travel from Senate offices to the Capitol​,”​ the statement continued.

Just hours before, reporters were told they would have to get permission from the Senate Rules Committee, the Senate sergeant-at-arms or the Senate Radio and TV Gallery before conducting on-camera interviews in the Capitol or in the Senate office buildings, The Hill reported.

The media crackdown would have reversed guidelines that say “videotaping and audio recording are permitted in the public areas of the House and Senate office buildings,” according to the Radio and TV Gallery website.

It was also roundly condemned by Capitol Hill reporters and Democrats.

​”​Senate Rules Committee and @SenateSAA trying to SHUT DOWN press access in halls. No more staking out hearings without permission. Not OK​,” CNN’s Manu Raju tweeted.

​”ALERT: Reporters at Capitol have been told they are not allow to film interviews with senators in hallways, contrary to years of precedent​,” NBC’s Kasie Hunt wrote.​

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, the ranking Democrat on the committee, earlier said she hadn’t been consulted on the rule change and would seek to overturn it.

Later, she said she had talked to Shelby, who explained it was a mixup set off by a “staff inquiry.”

“He said he would never move forward on some major change without consulting with me. He said it was an inquiry and that we would talk about it. So he seemed to imply that they weren’t going to change the policy,” said Klobuchar (D-Minn.)

S​enate Minority Leader ​Chuck Schumer suggested Republicans were trying to legislate under a veil of secrecy.

​”Press access should never be restricted unfairly, particularly not when one party is trying to sneak a major bill through Congress​,” the New York Democrat wrote on Twitter.

Sen. Lindsey Graham sympathized with the media — to a point.

“I want you to have access to us, inform your readers, inform your viewers what we’re trying to do,” Graham (R-SC)​ ​​said. But “of all the problems in America, y’all are pretty down on the chain.”​