Amendment To Bar U.S. Funding of ‘Countering Disinformation’ Operations Introduced in House

Dec. 26, 2022 (EIRNS)—Rep. Louis Gohmert (R-TX) introduced a limiting amendment to the budget bill, to prohibit any funds to go to government “countering disinformation” operations, whether inside or outside of the United States. That would certainly include Ukraine’s notorious “Center for Countering Disinformation”—under the Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council, and operating out of Kiev’s Office of the President—and its infamous blacklist, targeting American, European, and other citizens. The amendment also prohibits funds to any entity seeking to criminalize free speech. The amendment reads:

“None of the funds made available by any division of this Act or any amendment made by any such division may be made available for—

“(1) any Disinformation Board or Center, or any other entity substantially similar in concept or function, which purports to be a censorship board, supposedly to ‘combat disinformation,’ whether inside or outside the United States; or

“(2) any entity, inside the United State or abroad, which seeks to criminalize the exercise of freedom of speech, a quintessentially American right enshrined by the First Amendment of the Constitution.”

The amendment to the omnibus budget bill was submitted last week, just before the bill was passed by the House. The amendment, however, was never accepted by the Appropriations Committee, despite its being a “limiting amendment.” (As opposed to amendments that increase funding, a limiting amendment does not have extra steps to be taken up for consideration.) However, the precedent has been set for a Republican-controlled Appropriations Committee to take up in January.

While Gohmert is leaving office, other members have shown interest in pushing such an amendment forward.