[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 124 (Wednesday, July 19, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S3416]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 963. Mr. SCHMITT submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by 
him to the bill S. 2226, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 
2024 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 subtitle E of title X, add the following:

     SEC. 1049. PROHIBITION ON AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS RELATING TO 
                   CENSORSHIP OR BLACKLISTING OF NEWS SOURCES 
                   BASED ON SUBJECTIVE CRITERIA OR POLITICAL 
                   BIASES.

       (a) Prohibition on Availability of Funds.--None of the 
     funds authorized to be appropriated by this Act or otherwise 
     made available for any fiscal year for the Department of 
     Defense or the Department of State may be obligated or 
     expended to--
       (1) enter into any contract or other agreement with any 
     entity described in subsection (b) or with any advertising or 
     marketing agency that uses the functions described in 
     subsection (b)(4) of such an entity; or
       (2) provide any form of support to an entity described in 
     subsection (b).
       (b) Entities Described.--The entities described in this 
     subsection are the following:
       (1) NewsGuard Technologies Inc., or any company owned or 
     controlled by such entity.
       (2) The Global Disinformation Index, incorporated in the 
     United Kingdom as ``Disinformation Index LTD''.
       (3) Graphika Technologies Inc. or any company owned or 
     controlled by such entity.
       (4) Any other entity the function of which is to advise the 
     censorship or blacklisting of news sources based on 
     subjective criteria or political biases, under the stated 
     function of ``fact checking'' or otherwise removing 
     ``misinformation''.
       (c) Certification Requirement.--Prior to the Secretary of 
     Defense or the Secretary of State entering into any contract 
     or other agreement (or extending, renewing, or otherwise 
     modifying an existing contract or other agreement) with an 
     entity for the purpose of that entity implementing 
     advertisements on behalf of the Department of Defense or the 
     Department of State, respectively, the Secretary shall 
     require, as a condition of such contract or agreement, that 
     the entity certify to the Secretary that the entity is in 
     compliance with subsection (a).
                                 ______