Posted on 12/09/2016 4:06:02 AM PST by EBH
Portman/Murphy Bill Promotes Coordinated Strategy to Defend America, Allies Against Propaganda and Disinformation from Russia, China & Others
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Rob Portman (R-OH) and Chris Murphy (D-CT) today announced that their Countering Disinformation and Propaganda Act – legislation designed to help American allies counter foreign government propaganda from Russia, China, and other nations – has passed the Senate as part of the FY 2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) Conference Report. The bipartisan bill, which was introduced by Senators Portman and Murphy in March, will improve the ability of the United States to counter foreign propaganda and disinformation by establishing an interagency center housed at the State Department to coordinate and synchronize counter-propaganda efforts throughout the U.S. government. To support these efforts, the bill also creates a grant program for NGOs, think tanks, civil society and other experts outside government who are engaged in counter-propaganda related work. This will better leverage existing expertise and empower local communities to defend themselves from foreign manipulation.
“The passage of this bill in the Senate today takes us one critical step closer to effectively confronting the extensive, and destabilizing, foreign propaganda and disinformation operations being waged against us. While the propaganda and disinformation threat has grown, the U.S. government has been asleep at the wheel. Today we are finally signaling that enough is enough; the United States will no longer sit on the sidelines. We are going to confront this threat head-on,” said Senator Portman. “With the help of this bipartisan bill, the disinformation and propaganda used against our allies and our interests will fail.”
“Congress has taken a big step in fighting back against fake news and propaganda from countries like Russia. When the president signs this bill into law, the United States will finally have a dedicated set of tools and resources to confront our adversaries’ widespread efforts to spread false narratives that undermine democratic institutions and compromise America’s foreign policy goals,” said Murphy. “I’m proud of what Senator Portman and I accomplished here because it’s long past time for the U.S. to get off the sidelines and confront these growing threats.”
NOTE: The bipartisan Countering Disinformation and Propaganda Act is organized around two main priorities to help achieve the goal of combatting the constantly evolving threat of foreign disinformation. They are as follows:
The first priority is developing a whole-of-government strategy for countering foreign propaganda and disinformation. The bill would increase the authority, resources, and mandate of the Global Engagement Center to include state actors like Russia and China in addition to violent extremists. The Center will be led by the State Department, but with the active senior level participation of the Department of Defense, USAID, the Broadcasting Board of Governors, the Intelligence Community, and other relevant agencies. The Center will develop, integrate, and synchronize whole-of-government initiatives to expose and counter foreign disinformation operations and proactively advance fact-based narratives that support U.S. allies and interests.
Second, the legislation seeks to leverage expertise from outside government to create more adaptive and responsive U.S. strategy options. The legislation establishes a fund to help train local journalists and provide grants and contracts to NGOs, civil society organizations, think tanks, private sector companies, media organizations, and other experts outside the U.S. government with experience in identifying and analyzing the latest trends in foreign government disinformation techniques. This fund will complement and support the Center’s role by integrating capabilities and expertise available outside the U.S. government into the strategy-making process. It will also empower a decentralized network of private sector experts and integrate their expertise into the strategy-making process.
During this past year how many times have we all needed to go to the foreign press to get the real truth?
Does this mean they are preparing to restrict the internet access?
Is this all part of the 'fake' news campaign?
I know they will tell us this is to stop propaganda and recruiting of terrorists, but they also throw in Russia and China? So they are getting ready to control exactly what information Americans have access to on a much bigger scale. Granted I haven't read this bill, but even the government approved description is disturbing.
China and russia are on board with this
Of course its never what the words in a bill say, but how they are implemented ... and who is chosen to do the implementing.
Is it too cynical to interpret this as the establishment of a globalist Ministry of Propaganda?
We get more propaganda from CNN and the mainstream media than from Russia and China combined
Do these a$$hats not get it?
The government deciding what is truth and what is propaganda. What could go wrong?
“Congress has taken a big step in fighting back against fake news and propaganda from countries like Russia.”
Nevertrumper Portman sounds like a gullible moron still spewing propaganda from the Hillary campaign.
This was passed ‘bipartisan’ and man can I see the democrats trying to abuse this. So some ‘bipartisan’ committee is going to be picking and choosing what information sources we have access to.
Domestic propaganda is my main concern.
Our government doesn’t want our opinions influenced by propaganda... unless it’s theirs of course.
these jackasses shoudl focus on SECURING THE BORDER, DESTROYING ISIS AND BRINGING JOBS BACK..
People have had enough attempts at thought control by the USA based PRAVDA globalist “MEDIA”
San rahter
Brian Willaims
CNN MSNBC cbs abc nbc msnbc...
WHO IS KIDDING WHO...
Politicians wasting time and taxpayer money.... AS USUAL
Neither Chris Murphy (Communist - CT) nor the State Department have any interest whatsoever in defending America. So there must be some agenda in play here.
Is Portman completely clueless in that regard, or is he "one of them"?
I’ve read this law before when I was in high school in 1970. It was the preface to the book 1984 by George Orwell.
The Ministry of Truth will protect us from the False Doctrines of Foreign Infiltrators. Pleeze protect us, government. We are so weak and silly.
That's exactly what this is.
And he wants to fight back with “counter propaganda” So we'll probably have federal employees posting fake news on Twitter.
They could have a bigger impact by simply defunding NPR.
Yeah, this stinks.
As Freepers have posted on other threads of a similar subject, there are many instances of US propaganda and lies perpetrated on the American people. For example, Benghazi was caused by a video.
Portman has revealed himself to be a snake. He along with McConnell was instrumental in funding the fraud in Mississippi in stealing the election for US Senator away from Chris McDaniel.
President aTrump should turn this nonsense on its head as he himself and the Trump movement were daily recipients of US propaganda from both the US government and its state controlled national news media.
This is a lame duck Congress. Why are they not waiting for Trump to get into office? Can’t be good.
The Ministry of “Truth?”
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