117 S4191 PCS: Defund the Ministry of Truth Act of 2022 U.S. Senate 2022-05-11 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

IICalendar No. 367117th CONGRESS2d SessionS. 4191IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATESMay 11 (legislative day, May 10), 2022Mr. Paul (for himself, Mr. Risch, Mr. Crapo, Mr. Braun, Mr. Scott of Florida, and Mr. Cruz) introduced the following bill; which was read the first timeMay 11, 2022Read the second time and placed on the calendarA BILLTo prohibit the expenditure of Federal funds for the establishment or operation of the Disinformation Governance Board in the Department of Homeland Security.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Defund the Ministry of Truth Act of 2022.

2.

Findings

Congress finds the following:(1)The Federal Government is not the sole arbiter of truth in a free society.(2)Efforts by the Federal Government to censor dissenting voices is a violation of the First Amendment rights of the American people.(3)The Federal Government is itself prolific in the dissemination of misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation.(4)George Orwell’s novel, 1984, which was originally published in 1949, was a cautionary tale and a warning to future generations and was not intended to be an instruction manual for government repression.

3.

Prohibition against Federal funding for the Disinformation Governance Board

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no Federal funding may be expended for the establishment or operation of the Department of Homeland Security Disinformation Governance Board or any successor entity to the Disinformation Governance Board.

4.

Conforming amendment to the Homeland Security Act of 2002

Section 2202(i) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 652(i)) is amended—(1)in the subsection heading by inserting provisions after Savings;(2)by striking may be construed as affecting and inserting the following: "may be construed as—(1)affecting;(3)by striking the period at the end and inserting ; or; and(4)by adding at the end the following:(2)authorizing the establishment of any misinformation, disinformation, or malinformation working group, disinformation governance board, or any similar entity within the Department of Homeland Security (or any component thereof) unless such entity is explicitly authorized by an Act of Congress that is enacted after the date of the enactment of the Defund the Ministry of Truth Act of 2022..

May 11, 2022Read the second time and placed on the calendar