[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 84 (Thursday, May 26, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3345-S3346]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 4346. Mr. PORTMAN (for himself and Mr. Murphy) submitted an
amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 2943, to
authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2017 for military activities
of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for
defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military
personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which
was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:
At the end of title XII, add the following:
Subtitle I--Countering Foreign Propaganda and Disinformation Act
SEC. 1281. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) foreign governments, including the Governments of the
Russian Federation and the People's Republic of China, use
disinformation and other propaganda tools to undermine the
national security objectives of the United States and key
allies and partners;
(2) the Russian Federation, in particular, has conducted
sophisticated and large-scale disinformation campaigns that
have sought to have a destabilizing effect on United States
allies and interests;
(3) in the last decade disinformation has increasingly
become a key feature of the Government of the Russian
Federation's pursuit of political, economic, and military
objectives in Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, the Balkans, and
throughout Central and Eastern Europe;
(4) the challenge of countering disinformation extends
beyond effective strategic communications and public
diplomacy, requiring a whole-of-government approach
leveraging all elements of national power;
(5) the United States Government should develop a
comprehensive strategy to counter foreign disinformation and
propaganda and assert leadership in developing a fact-based
strategic narrative; and
(6) an important element of this strategy should be to
protect and promote a free, healthy, and independent press in
countries vulnerable to foreign disinformation.
SEC. 1282. CENTER FOR INFORMATION ANALYSIS AND RESPONSE.
(a) Establishment.--Not later than 180 days after the date
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall,
in coordination with the Secretary of Defense, the
Broadcasting Board of Governors, and other relevant
departments and agencies, establish a Center for Information
Analysis and Response (in this section referred to as the
``Center''). The purposes of the Center are--
(1) to coordinate the sharing with relevant government
agencies of information, subject to the appropriate
classification guidelines, on foreign government information
warfare efforts, including information provided by recipients
of information access fund grants awarded under subsection
(e) and other sources;
(2) to establish a process for the integration of relevant
information on foreign propaganda and disinformation efforts
into the development of national strategy; and
(3) to develop, plan, and synchronize, in coordination with
the Secretary of Defense, the Broadcasting Board of
Governors, and other relevant departments and agencies,
interagency initiatives to expose and counter foreign
information operations directed against United States
national security interests and proactively advance fact-
based narratives that support United States allies and
interests.
(b) Functions.--The Center shall carry out the following
functions:
(1) Integrating interagency efforts to track and evaluate
counterfactual narratives abroad that threaten the national
security interests of the United States and United States
allies, subject to appropriate regulations governing the
dissemination of classified information and programs.
(2) Analyzing relevant information from United States
Government agencies, allied nations, think-tanks, academic
institutions, civil society groups, and other nongovernmental
organizations.
(3) Developing and disseminating thematic narratives and
analysis to counter propaganda and disinformation directed at
United States allies and partners in order to safeguard
United States allies and interests.
(4) Identifying current and emerging trends in foreign
propaganda and disinformation, including the use of print,
broadcast, online and social media, support for third-party
outlets such as think tanks, political parties, and
nongovernmental organizations, in order to coordinate and
shape the development of tactics, techniques, and procedures
to expose and refute foreign misinformation and
disinformation and proactively promote fact-based narratives
and policies to audiences outside the United States.
(5) Facilitating the use of a wide range of information-
related technologies and techniques to counter foreign
disinformation by sharing expertise among agencies, seeking
expertise from external sources, and implementing best
practices.
(6) Identifying gaps in United States capabilities in areas
relevant to the Center's mission and recommending necessary
enhancements or changes.
(7) Identifying the countries and populations most
susceptible to foreign government propaganda and
disinformation.
(8) Administering the information access fund established
pursuant to subsection (e).
(9) Coordinating with allied and partner nations,
particularly those frequently targeted by foreign
disinformation operations, and international organizations
and entities such as the NATO Center of Excellence on
Strategic Communications, the European Endowment for
Democracy, and the European External Action Service Task
Force on Strategic Communications, in order to amplify the
Center's efforts and avoid duplication.
(c) Composition.--
(1) Coordinator.--The Secretary of State shall appoint a
full-time Coordinator to lead the Center.
(2) Steering committee.--
(A) Composition.--The Secretary of State shall establish a
Steering Committee composed of senior representatives of
agencies relevant to the Center's mission to provide advice
to the Secretary on the operations and strategic orientation
of the Center and to ensure adequate support for the Center.
[[Page S3346]]
The Steering Committee shall include the officials set forth
in subparagraph (C), one senior representative designated by
the Secretary of Defense, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of
Staff, the Administrator of the United States Agency for
International Development, and the Chairman of the
Broadcasting Board of Governors.
(B) Meetings.--The Steering Committee shall meet not less
than every 3 months.
(C) Chairman and vice chairmen.--The Steering Committee
shall be chaired by the Under Secretary of State for
Political Affairs. A senior, Secretary of State-designated
official responsible for digital media programming for
foreign audiences and a senior, Secretary of Defense-
designated official responsible for information operations
shall serve as co-Vice Chairmen.
(D) Executive secretary.--The Coordinator of the Center
shall serve as Executive Secretary of the Steering Committee.
(E) Participation and independence.--The Chairman of the
Broadcasting Board of Governors shall not compromise the
journalistic freedom or integrity of relevant media
organizations. Other Federal agencies may be invited to
participate in the Steering Committee at the discretion of
the Chairman of the Steering Committee and with the consent
of the Secretary of State.
(d) Staff.--
(1) In general.--The Chairman may, with the consent of the
Secretary and without regard to the civil service laws and
regulations, appoint and terminate a Director and such other
additional personnel as may be necessary to enable the Center
to carry out its functions. The employment of the Director
shall be subject to confirmation by the Steering Committee.
(2) Compensation.--The Chairman may fix the compensation of
the Director and other personnel without regard to chapter 51
and subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5, United States
Code, relating to classification of positions and General
Schedule pay rates, except that the rate of pay for the
executive director and other personnel may not exceed the
rate payable for level V of the Executive Schedule under
section 5316 of that title.
(3) Detail of government employees.--Any Federal Government
employee may be detailed to the Center without reimbursement,
and such detail shall be without interruption or loss of
civil service status or privilege.
(4) Procurement of temporary and intermittent services.--
The Chairman may procure temporary and intermittent services
under section 3109(b) of title 5, United States Code, at
rates for individuals which do not exceed the daily
equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay prescribed for
level V of the Executive Schedule under section 5316 of that
title.
(e) Information Access Fund.--
(1) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated to the Secretary of State for fiscal years
2017 and 2018 $40,000,000 to support the Center and provide
grants or contracts of financial support to civil society
groups, journalists, nongovernmental organizations, federally
funded research and development centers, private companies,
or academic institutions for the following purposes:
(A) To support local independent media who are best placed
to refute foreign disinformation and manipulation in their
own communities.
(B) To collect and store examples in print, online, and
social media, disinformation, misinformation, and propaganda
directed at the United States and its allies and partners.
(C) To analyze tactics, techniques, and procedures of
foreign government information warfare with respect to
disinformation, misinformation, and propaganda.
(D) To support efforts by the Center to counter efforts by
foreign governments to use disinformation, misinformation,
and propaganda to influence the policies and social and
political stability of the United States and United States
allies and partners.
(2) Funding availability and limitations.--All
organizations that apply to receive funds under this
subsection must undergo a vetting process in accordance with
the relevant existing regulations to ensure their bona fides,
capability, and experience, and their compatibility with
United States interests and objectives.
(3) Offset.--Savings derived from projected bulk fuel cost
savings in the operation and maintenance, Defense-wide
account shall be made available to cover the appropriation
authorized in paragraph (1).
SEC. 1283. INCLUSION IN DEPARTMENT OF STATE EDUCATION AND
CULTURAL EXCHANGE PROGRAMS OF FOREIGN STUDENTS
AND COMMUNITY LEADERS FROM COUNTRIES AND
POPULATIONS SUSCEPTIBLE TO FOREIGN
MANIPULATION.
When selecting participants for United States educational
and cultural exchange programs, the Secretary of State shall
give special consideration to students and community leaders
from populations and countries the Secretary deems vulnerable
to foreign propaganda and disinformation campaigns.
SEC. 1284. REPORTS.
(a) In General.--Not later than one year after the
establishment of the Center, the Secretary of State shall, in
coordination with the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary
of Homeland Security, submit to the appropriate congressional
committees a report evaluating the success of the Center in
fulfilling the purposes for which it was authorized and
outlining steps to improve any areas of deficiency.
(b) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this
section, the term ``appropriate congressional committees''
means--
(1) the Committee on Foreign Relations, the Committee on
Armed Services, and the Committee on Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs of the Senate; and
(2) the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on
Armed Services, and the Committee on Homeland Security of the
House of Representatives.
SEC. 1285. TERMINATION OF CENTER AND STEERING COMMITTEE.
The Center for Information Analysis and Response and the
Steering Committee shall terminate ten years after the date
of the enactment of this Act.
SEC. 1286. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION REGARDING RELATIONSHIP TO
INTELLIGENCE AUTHORITIES AND ACTIVITIES.
Nothing in this Act shall be construed as superseding or
modifying any existing authorities governing the collection,
sharing, and implementation of intelligence programs and
activities or existing regulations governing the sharing of
classified information and programs.
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