[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 90 (Wednesday, June 8, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3662-S3664]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 4599. 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. CENTER FOR INFORMATION ANALYSIS AND RESPONSE.
(a) Establishment.--Not later than 180 days after the date
of the enactment of this Act, the President shall 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 among government agencies of
information on foreign government information warfare
efforts, including information provided by recipients of
information access fund grants awarded using funds made
available under subsection (e) and from other sources,
subject to the appropriate classification guidelines;
(2) to establish a process for integrating information on
foreign propaganda and disinformation efforts into national
strategy; and
(3) to develop, plan, and synchronize interagency
activities to expose and counter foreign information
operations directed against United States national security
interests and advance 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
[[Page S3663]]
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 and expending funds made available
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) Interagency Manager.--
(1) In general.--The President is authorized to designate
an official of the United States Government to lead an
interagency team and to manage the Center. The President
shall delegate to the manager of the Center responsibility
for and presumptive authority to direct and coordinate the
activities and operations of all departments, agencies, and
elements of the United States Government in so far as their
support is required to ensure the successful implementation
of a strategy approved by the President for accomplishing the
mission. The official so designated shall be serving in a
position in the executive branch by appointment, by and with
the advice and consent of the Senate.
(2) Interagency steering committee.--
(A) Composition.--The Interagency Manager shall establish a
Steering Committee composed of senior representatives of
agencies relevant to the Center's mission to provide advice
to the Manager on the operations and strategic orientation of
the Center and to ensure adequate support for the Center. The
Steering Committee shall include one senior representative
designated by each of the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary
of State, 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 Interagency Steering Committee shall
meet not less than every 3 months.
(C) 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.
(3) Scope of responsibility and authority.--
(A) Limitation on scope.--The delegated responsibility and
authority provided pursuant to paragraph (1) may not extend
beyond the requirements for successful implementation of the
mission and strategy described in that paragraph.
(B) Appeal of execution of activities.--The head of any
department, agency, or other element of the United States
Government may appeal to the President a requirement or
direction by the official designated pursuant to paragraph
(1) for activities otherwise in support of the mission and
strategy described in that paragraph if such head determines
that there is a compelling case that executing such
activities would do undue harm to other missions of national
importance to the United States.
(4) Targeted foreign audiences.--
(A) In general.--The activities under this subsection of
the Center described in paragraph (1) shall be done only with
the intent to influence foreign audiences. No funds for the
activities of the team under this section may be used with
the intent to influence public opinion in the United States.
(B) Rule of construction.--Nothing in this subsection may
be construed to prohibit the team described in paragraph (1)
from engaging in any form of communication or medium, either
directly or indirectly, or coordinating with any other
department or agency of the United States Government, a State
government, or any other public or private organization or
institution because a United States domestic audience is or
may be thereby exposed to activities or communications of the
team under this subsection, or based on a presumption of such
exposure.
(d) Staff.--
(1) Compensation.--The President may fix the compensation
of the manager of the Center 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.
(2) 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.
(3) Procurement of temporary and intermittent services.--
The President 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) Funds.--Of amounts authorized to be appropriated for
fiscal year 2017 for the Department of Defense by this Act
and identified as undistributed fuel cost savings as
specified in the funding tables in division D, up to
$250,000,000 may be available for purposes of carrying out
this section and the grant program established under section
1282. Once obligated, such funds shall remain available for
such purposes until expended.
SEC. 1282. INFORMATION ACCESS FUNDS.
(a) Grants and Contracts of Financial Support.--The Center
may 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:
(1) To support local independent media who are best placed
to refute foreign disinformation and manipulation in their
own communities.
(2) To collect and store examples in print, online, and
social media of disinformation, misinformation, and
propaganda directed at the United States and its allies and
partners.
(3) To analyze tactics, techniques, and procedures of
foreign government information warfare with respect to
disinformation, misinformation, and propaganda.
(4) 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.
(b) Funding Availability and Limitations.--All
organizations that apply to receive funds under this section
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.
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.
The President shall ensure that when the Secretary of State
is selecting participants for United States educational and
cultural exchange programs, the Secretary of State gives
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 President 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 congressional defense committees, the Committee on
Foreign Relations, the Committee on Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs, and the Select Committee on
Intelligence of the Senate; and
(2) the congressional defense committees, the Committee on
Foreign Affairs, the Committee on Homeland Security, and the
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of the House of
Representatives.
SEC. 1285. TERMINATION OF CENTER AND STEERING COMMITTEE.
The Center for Information Analysis and Response and the
interagency team established under section 1281(c) shall
terminate 15 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 subtitle shall be construed as superseding
or modifying any existing authorities governing the
collection, sharing, and implementation of intelligence
programs
[[Page S3664]]
and activities or existing regulations governing the sharing
of classified information and programs.
______