[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 113 (Monday, July 13, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Page S3889]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 6660. Mr. SCHATZ submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by 
him to the bill S. 4784, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 
2027 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 D of title XII, add the following:

     SEC. 1252. REPORT ON BENEFITS OF FACT-BASED JOURNALISM IN 
                   INDO-PACIFIC REGION.

       (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, in 
     consultation with the Secretary of Defense, shall submit to 
     the appropriate committees of Congress a report outlining the 
     benefits, to United States foreign policy, defense, and 
     security objectives in the Indo-Pacific region, of 
     editorially independent, fact-based journalism in the Indo-
     Pacific region, including throughout the Pacific Islands.
       (b) Elements.--The report required by subsection (a) shall 
     include an assessment of the following:
       (1) The benefits to United States foreign policy, defense, 
     and security interests of an information environment in the 
     Indo-Pacific region, including the Pacific Islands, that 
     includes fact-based reporting on the malign activities of 
     competitors and adversaries in the region.
       (2) The risks to United States operations and activities of 
     insufficient editorially independent news media in the Indo-
     Pacific region.
       (c) Form.--The report required by subsection (a) shall be 
     submitted in unclassified form but may include a classified 
     annex.
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